


Champions' Tale

by Danowsawa



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Adventure, Conflict, F/M, Fate & Destiny, Gen, Insecurity, Rival factions, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2019-11-19 10:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 81,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18134363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danowsawa/pseuds/Danowsawa
Summary: Failing to recover her own magical abilities, Zelda is forced to search elsewhere for hope against the coming darkness. Coming to the conclusion that the four mechanical Beasts must be tamed in order to take on the coming Blight, Zelda assembles a team of Champions to rally support among the many kingdoms of Hyrule. but such deep-seated rivalries might not be mended so easily.





	1. A Company's Humble Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I'm not entirely certain what this story is going to be. It began as another Mipha/Link story, but the story I wanted to tell of them required more backstory to get to it, and then even more backstory, with some tweaking involved, since Nintendo didn't exactly create a story, or lore, nearly as vast as the world its set in, but by that time, it became a whole other story revolving around the Champions as a whole, which I'm not entirely sure I like, since I often have difficultly keeping an ensemble totally equal in terms of content. There will definitely be Mipha/Link content, though I hope it's not overshadowed- perhaps this will be a chance for me to expand upon the Champions, all of whom were quite shallow in terms of character in-game.
> 
> So, all in all, I will be remaining as faithful as I can be to the in-game lore, as well as my previous stories, but in all of those cases, I may be switching things up simply for the purposes of allowing this story to actually exist and progress, so hopefully that isn't a massive draw against this story.
> 
> From what I've currently conjured up, I've already begun world-building in this chapter, somewhat, but there will come a point, maybe 20-30 chapters in, where I could very well end the story, circling back to the prologue up above, though I could just as easily expand this into a however-long story, given the nature of what I'm probably going to be writing herein. More than likely, I'll ask any readers in a note whether I should stop or continue on xD
> 
> Ever since I first played Breath of the Wild, I've always felt it to be so incredibly shallow in terms of story, characters, etc. and all of my fan-fiction set in the game have been to flesh out and/or deepen aspects of a game that I so wish had the same sense of scale in terms of its narrative as its environment. So hopefully, I can do the game itself service while also adding a certain flair to it that might make the game, superficially anyway, seem more deep than it truly is. Simply going in-game to research locales and actual routes therein has added so much meaning to the game itself in my own mind, even making up my own stories for different landmarks or piddling settlements found throughout (like the torn down home near Bloodleaf Lake that I set an entire story around- I always return there just because it now has that much unofficial meaning to me. If my stories can have an iota of the same sort of effect on anybody reading this, I'll be so overjoyed :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!

"Beyond that, I have another problem-"

Link rose his head to peer out the window of his cramped family home, lined along the rest of the family homes that belonged to those families of the Royal Guard. His eyes shook as he peered out toward the crowed streets of the market down the street, just able to catch body forms and colored clothes from that distance. That movement, however, comforted him. Even if he couldn't catch glimpses of faces, there were bodies there, people, moving to and fro, unhindered by the world, thanks in no small part to Link and the rest of the Guard.

Seeing movement along the circuitous streets of Hyrule Town, seeing people- It meant he had a purpose. A reason for living. For rising out of bed in the morning, running his thumb lovingly along that picture of his far-gone parents, for his hours of training. His parents had always told him that it was enough to serve the greater good- to serve the people that looked to them for protection. Entities that offered such things came too far and few between for Link's parents to shunt their responsibilities.

They made little attempt to hide the fact that Link was brought into the world as a product of two of the finest soldiers within the Guard, rather than a product of two lovers, and while Link loved them dearly, and they to him, their intentions now haunted his thoughts as he sat at his desk, eyeing the picture of himself sat atop his parent's legs as the three posed, emotionlessly, for a photograph, though Link's wondrous turning of his head during the lengthy exposure had left much of his face blurred. His face mattered little, though, when his eyes most often sat upon those faces of his mother and father.

Though his lineage came across as more so a business, two great knights brought together for little more than to bring about more great knights in their stead, Link rarely felt that way. Even now, staring at that picture, he felt nothing less than absolute love for his mother, the one he'd spent most of his time with, his father largely being absent for long periods of time, dealing with the ever-regular uprisings sprouting up in Akkala, the place where he would ultimately die. Even when his father was in the town of Hyrule, while stern, he certainly didn't lead Link on in his love for the child, always happy to recount stories of ancient battles or wars waged between the kingdoms of Hyrule as a whole.

Link's eyes flickered upward at the rhythmic sounds of the clip-clopping hooves just outside, a horse-drawn cart cruising along the empty street. Link had drawn that same sound into his mind where it still festered, his marching cadences often in time with his general's horse's gallop. He would dream of such routine things in his sleep, even; a sign of his devotion to the craft his parents bore him to devote himself to. For a time, his mind was dead-set of nothing to do with himself, but of Hyrule, and her people, and its King, the man to whom his whole mind and body was bound to.

That time had passed, however; such revelations becoming a rather unfortunate blight upon his mind. He'd been taken by the King's princess, Zelda, to wander the whole of Hyrule, seeking something of the girl's power that had yet to awaken, despite her ever-rising age. While Link found nothing on that excursion, except perhaps a new respect for the woman who'd thought so little of the perils in the world, perils Link knew well enough about, Princess Zelda seemed to have discovered  _something_ , for once they returned to Hyrule Castle, Zelda had immediately begun speaking of forming the Champions Guild, representatives of all the kingdoms of Hyrule that would be the defenders of this…unseen for that was to be a great threat into the future.

Link had been selected to accompany Zelda once again, much to his chagrin. Desperate to return to his daily routines as a Royal Guard, routines that remained the same as both his parents, a routine that brought him so close to those two people, he wasn't pleased to be sent off again to follow the whimsical wanderings of the Princess, kept away from this life he was so comfortable in. He would have happily died protecting the citizenry of Hyrule, though the idea of losing his life on some silly quest- his life, he felt so strongly, was worth so much more than such things.

Still, he thought, his eyes screwing back over toward the journal he'd kept since a child, as all the Guard did to relieve stress, the journey he'd just returned home from- perhaps it wasn't all for naught. Despite the foibles that had accompanied the Champions- the scars, the traumatic betrayals by their own factions, the serendipitous machinations of the Sheikah rousing from the earth with nothing more in the way of intent but to kill the lot of them. Perhaps there was more to the completion of this quest than a simple understanding of the giant Beasts surrounding the Castle. More than the lessons learned about loyalty and trust; more than Link's own admonishment of his own Princess.

His heart tugged within his chest as he stared at the unfinished line in his journal, "Beyond that, I have another problem". It  _was_ a problem, to be sure. One that forced him to doubt what he'd been brought up to do- what he'd been bred to do. He slid back into the wooden chair, a stern grasp taking his quill into his fingers, returning to the off-white paper below, trailing these words just after the last.

"I do believe I have fallen in love with her."

* * *

"My father hasn't the slightest bit of faith in my plans  _or_ ideas," Zelda laid out plainly as she strode alongside her bodyguard, "I have no doubt he's allowing this venture merely to keep me out of his hair, or- Maybe it's to get me outside the library. Either way, I could tell with his chiding voice; he doesn't take any of this seriously."

These were the last words Link wished to hear, already believing this journey to be as much of a waste as the Princesses' previous last. Knowing his King, of all people, was content with sending along Link, as well, didn't exactly inspire faith in him regarding how his King must view him. Truly, Link was a mere rover among the ranks to be sent on wild keese-chases, and while he desperately wished to prove himself otherwise, he knew his King's will was to be done, regardless.

At least  _this_ excursion was to be one along a company of Champions; perhaps Zelda would be content speaking to the others among them rather than relating tales to Link that he had little interest in. Surely, this abstract personnel of heroes would be better in conversation to the princess than the muted man she was now, officially, dragging along with her. Why? Merely due to their previous time together?

Finishing with a sigh, indicative of the tire she felt recalling such things as her father's ill-respect of this mission, Zelda simply pointing a finger out toward the hilly landscape just ahead of the two of them, "There it is, Sanadin Park. Have you been there? Oh, it's a wonderous place!"

Link shook his head, leaving Zelda to continue, "It's beautiful! We used to come by here all the time on the round trip to through Dalite Forest to let the horses get some rest. My manservant would lift me up over his head and it would feel like I was flying!"

A sarcastic quip escaped Link's lips, "I hope you aren't expecting the same from me."

Zelda giggled, "Of course not; we're on official business. Well, unofficially on official business. Official business insofar as I have a group of people willing to believe that it's official."

"You make it sound as though they're aware that this is unofficial and choosing to treat it as official anyway," Link noted dryly.

Zelda reached a head up to stroke her chin, "I mean, I- It was  _implied_ that the King of Hyrule had placed his official word on this expedition."

With a sardonic glance, Link reminded, "You're father can order me to keep tabs on you and protect you during your travels, regardless of your goals. You can order me to shut up and not let it known that you're essentially lying to get a gang of people to go along with your plans. But I would highly suggest not getting too far in over your head."

"Pfft, whenever have I gotten too far-" Zelda began, pausing as her face lowered under Link's critical glance, "Okay, a few times. But look, I  _know_ what I've seen, what I've heard from the goddesses. I just need a little more time to find some proof that'll get people to believe me; I think figuring out those Beasts will do just that, and to get to  _them_ , I need some-"

"Pawns," Link finished beneath a bemused frown from Zelda.

She insisted, "I was thinking 'assistants'; do you realize that our world is on the cusp of evils unseen for millennia? Those Beasts may be the only things we have to fight back; gifts our ancient ancestors offered us! If we don't utilize them, what does that say about all of our progress if we don't build upon those Sheikah who brought us up to begin with?"

Uninspired by such rhetoric, Link simply replied, "I'm merely following you, Princess. What you'd have your guard do is your business."

"Good to hear that," Zelda came back with an authoritative tone, "I'd expect nothing less from a Royal Guard of Hyrule. So long as you keep quiet and allow me time to properly construct my plans, and I know you excel at that first one, we'll be completely fine. In fact, we'll be better than fine when we're actually prepared despite my father, or any of Hyrule's other leaders, regardless of my pleading."

Zelda crosses her arms as the two of them strode up the gradual hillscape, "I even appealed to Patriarch Bludo's immense sense of pride, but he'd have none of it. Hopefully with one so great as Daruk on our side, it will persuade him to aid us, or at the very least, allow us the privilege of touring and understanding the Beast of Death Mountain."

"Assuming your scheme doesn't unravel before-"

"It's not a  _scheme_ ," Zelda insisted, rather unconvincingly, "The ends justify the means, even if it were."

Link muttered in reply, "If you say so."

"I do," Zelda conformed, "And my word as Princess of Hyrule weighs heavily upon-"

She grinned mischeviously as though having stolen the words, "Okay, I can't ever finish that line, 'least not like my father can."

"If you're going to press on with this endeavor, you may need to work on that," Link suggested, "I may be bound to you as a Guard, eternally, but the others won't be. You're just a woman from another kingdom to them, one with little authority, save for the armies your father commands. Daruk is a friend of mine, a sworn brother at that, but Lady Mipha is a mere acquaintance, while Revali carries along few connections to this earth. Urbosa-"

"Lady Urbosa would tear through a mountainside for me," Zelda clarified with a hesitant voice, "I've already mentioned my research to her, and she believes me. She'll keep quiet for as long as I do about it."

Link nodded, "In that case, that leaves three of your Champions unconvinced, including Nivate. Even Urbosa holds little weight when it comes to her lordship."

"Well, that's why we have these Champions, isn't it? Symbols of the expanse of Hyrule, all of its inhabitants, joining together to mount a massive offensive should any lurking horrors rear their ugly face," Zelda subtly critiqued, "Half of the reason for this is to persuade aid from the five kingdoms of Hyrule; Urbosa alone may not inspire help from Lady Nivate, but if all of us, combined in one strong, resilient force-"

"Princess, you seem to think this excursion of yours will be easy. But as a man who has traveled this world, who has seen it beyond the glassy eyes of a young royal, you're not bringing together simple individuals. You're bringing together cultures, histories- quite lengthy ones at that. Zoras regard  _everybody_  with suspicion, the Rito and Gorons despise one another, the Gerudo are ambivalent toward men, and you know how each one of those races view Hyrule. What you're trying to do is upend millennia of-"

Zelda turned toward him, interrupting with a righteous voice, "I  _am_. I  _certainly_  am. And you know why? Because if we don't, there won't be any lines left to draw between  _any_  of the peoples of Hyrule."

How naïve this one, Link thought, though he did indeed admire her spirit. It was a noble venture, despite it being shrouded somewhat in a veil of lies, however, his mind couldn't help but think of how tremendous such an undertaking would, indeed, be. Had he not been brought up within the rigorous existence of the Royal Guard, Link caught a fettered thought in his mind- would he have been as idealistic as his Princess? He hadn't a choice, of course; where Zelda told him to go, he went, but might he have endeavored on his own volition had things been different?

Zelda pulled her pack around her body, diving her hands into the thick satchel as she teetered in step, her eyes wandering off the road in front of her, "As far as today's venture goes, I did manage to bring gifts to offer to each of our Champions. I instructed our leading excavator to bring- well, for Daruk, it might be like a piece of candy, but it was all I could carry. This vein of opal might taste good, I don't know; I figured the thought counted. "

Continuing, Link grasped her arm to pull her back onto the road, though Zelda was too deep in her pack to notice at all, "A tapestry for Lady Urbosa; I know she loves keeping her little hovel warm, crazy as that is. Lady Mipha, uh- This sharpening stone and a book of Hyrulian children's fairy-tales, I know she enjoys those."

Her lips curled uncertainly as she paused her rummaging, "I didn't know what Revali liked, so-"

"Some clippers might have been nice," Link muttered under his breath, earning him a scowl from his Princess.

" _Actually_ , I got him a few hollow-tipped arrows. I figured they might be more precise," Zelda explained, "And I don't care much for your own disregard for another among this troupe. You may not be a Champion yourself, Link, but I do expect you to compose yourself as one."

Link gave her a suspicious stare, muted by her further words, "That's an order. and my word as Princess of Hyrule weighs heavily upon the shoulders of each and every one of my soldiers."

His face dropping, those words having been conditioned within him to carry so much weight indeed, Link frowned before releasing an obedient, "Yes, my Princess."

Zelda nodded with a smirk, whipping her pack over her shoulder, "You  _did_  say I needed to work on that."

"I didn't mean so soon," Link admitted, turning a peevish, side-long glance toward her accompanying a grin, "What's that old Hylian proverb? Catch an idea without thought and claim yourself a fool?"

"Yeah, you  _wish_  that was a proverb," Zelda replied with a scoff that lead seamlessly into a laugh, "I wasn't  _that_  sheltered growing up, you know."

Link nodded, "Strolls along the perimeter, guided tours of the town. If 'sheltered' is meaning 'inhibited', I might be more sheltered than you ever were. The life in the barracks leaves little time to appreciate what exactly it is you're preparing to fight, and die, for."

He shrugged, "We're trained to fight regardless, or, if you're like me, you're bred for it. I wasn't born to have options or choices; I was bred to serve. And despite my worry for this quest of yours, I have no intention of deviating from my destiny."

Link's eyes turned to catch Zelda's softened face, a downtrodden expression appearing there, before he concluded, "So long as I'm good enough to be considered a Royal Guard, I will never live to witness the death of you or any of your family. I, myself, will have died before such a thing would ever occur, and even then, as you said, my devotion is such that even my specter would protect you."

Frowning sadly, Zelda wondered aloud, "Don't you ever… I mean, don't-"

"No," Link interrupted, "I don't want anything else."

Zelda lowered her head in thought, missing the smirk stretching across Link's face as he sighed with relief, "But, you know, it makes life that much easier. I wake to serve, and that about cuts it. It's about all I was ever good at, anyway."

"Well," Zelda offered, "You know how to cook."

His eyes wandering, Link grinned, "Okay, maybe I enjoy a few things beyond unflinching dedication to my liege. Journal writing, that's-"

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed, "What do you write?"

"N-Nothing crazy!" Link quickly interjected, Zelda's enthusiasm causing him worry, "I just write my reports and I empty my thoughts at the end of the day! What did you think I was writing? Vast amounts of poetry or something?"

Zelda's lips twisting in critique as she studied Link's face, forcing him to bite his lip with worry, "What exactly are you…-"

"Nah, you don't seem like the poetry type…" Zelda surmised, slowly, "Though, perhaps you'd be a limerick kind of guy, I don't know."

"What's a-"

"Or sonnets!" Zelda went on with excitement, clearly wavering from the path, both physically and vocally, "You know, a royal knight, catching the eyes of some fair maiden in the streets, bound by two futures that cannot possible include one another, yet you both-"

"Hey! S-Stay on the road!" Link reminded with growing desperation, more due to his Princesses continuing outburst of oddities as the two approached Sanadin Park.

He grabbed her and returned her to the proper path, "You know those stories of leaving the path and skeletons burst from the ground to attack-"

"Yes!" Zelda suddenly exclaimed, "Skultullas! You bargain with your King- One hundred Skultulla shells to buy your way out of servitude so that you may-"

"ATTEN-TION!" roared a deeply boisterous voice from ahead of the two, immediately sending Link's arms flying away from Zelda and gluing themselves to his side, standing straight as Zelda turned her attention forward with surprised eyes.

"Captain Ruzoll!" she exclaimed happily, dashing up the ramp that led up to the Park.

The ornately armored man chuckled happily, his deep voice nearly shaking the earth below as much as his large frame did upon dropping from his horse, "Hey, Princess! How're you doin'?"

Zelda dove into him, hugging him tightly as her head narrowly avoided one of the ill-shaped forms atop his chest piece, "I'm doing excellently! We were actually just about to meet with everybody here, but- Why are you here?"

Ruzoll laughed, "Well you left in such a hurry, you forgot to grab something! Care to figure what it might have been?"

His Princess' face gradually scrunched in deepening thought, running over her supplies in her head for a moment before turning to Link, "Did we-?"

Link remained in his static stance, eyes raised toward his Captain with ever-unwavering reverence until Ruzoll noticed the effect he had upon his knight, clearing his throat before assuring, "Oh, come now, boy, at ease; your Princess was asking a question."

Taking a deep breath, Link returned to Zelda with a quick, "No, I made sure we collected everything. Unless there was something I wasn't privy to."

At that, Zelda's head upturned in horror, "My slate!"

" _Bingo_ ," Ruzoll laughed heartily, shoving a hand into his pocket, "You wouldn't hush up about it for the previous two weeks, so once your handmaid noticed it having remained, I made it a point to bring Wauf out here, get him a little exercise, see if I could beat you two; though, on foot, I could have probably taken one of the older horses, no problem."

He bent forward to pass off the Sheikah Slate to Zelda, remaining forward to stroke his horse's neck while Zelda giggled happily from Wauf's lazy attempt at sniffing her hair, reaching up to pat his nose, "Hey, Wauf. Thanks so much for taking the time to bring it out here, Captain!"

"No need for thanks, I assure you," Ruzoll nodded, grinning toward Link, "I thought it'd be nice to catch my knight in the field as well. I know the Princess is an adventurous one; she isn't too bad, eh boy?"

Zelda frowned, "Hey, I'm  _right_  here!"

Ruzoll released a boisterous laugh, though Link remained stone-faced, raising a fist to cover a cough, subtly hinting toward a far more stoic conversation, though his Captain didn't seem to bother, leaving Link to begrudgingly reply, "It's been fine, Captain. Some unrest to the West, but I've little doubt it's just the Yiga's and the Afeigu vying for territory. If they keep fighting one another, it won't spill out toward the rest of the countryside."

"We'll see that that remains the case," Ruzoll nodded with a far-off stare toward the horizon, "You'll protect this one, correct?"

"From any danger, sir," Link replied mechanically, pounding a fist into his chest, earning him a surprised glance from Zelda.

Ruzoll chuckled mutely, "You're in good hands, Princess. Link is one of our finest. He forged that blade of his on his own, you know."

Link turned his head to hide a blush at openly being commended, though Zelda only smiled with a nod, "Oh, I know he's one of our best. We have many spectacular swordsmen and women, but Link has already proven he can survive  _me_ , which is a trait I'm not so sure can be quantified so easily."

She bumped an elbow into his arm playfully, though he remained absent, staring off into the distance to avoid any body's gaze. Zelda only gave a quietly quick giggle before returning her attention back to her Captain of the Guard, bowing courteously as he did the same, lowering his head respectfully.

"Well thank you for time and effort, Captain; I do appreciate-"

"Oh nonsense, it was not a thing," Ruzoll waved his hand in front of himself, "Now, I'll allow you two to get back to your rat killing, as it were. King Rhoam said you had some fascinating plants out there to catalogue; that's why I was so quick to get your little picture-block to you."

Zelda grimaced, " _That's_  what my father said..?"

The Captain frowned, "Did I miss something, my lady?"

"No, no," Zelda groaned, figuring it was easiest to simply go along with her father's grandiose disappointment in her current venture that merely proved his lack of respect for such a thing, "Yes, this slate will prove incredibly handy. Thank you."

Ruzoll slammed a fist into his chest, the clashing of clanking metal echoing through the atmosphere, "On my honor, Princess. May the Goddess Hylia look upon you with favor, and you as well, Link."

Link nodded in thanks at being recognized, leaving Ruzoll to striking his steed with his boots, a massive whinny breaking the air as Wauf hurdled his stallion body up into the air, twisting away and prancing off amidst one final wave goodbye from the Captain, forcing Link to take on an unseen salute before sighing in relief, thankful the Captain hadn't done any further blows to his personage.

His body bolted to attention as Zelda spoke up angrily, "That's all my father could do?! Lie?! How ashamed of his daughter  _is_  he?!"

"You must admit that this whole charade is rather difficult to buy into," Link offered blandly.

Zelda bit her lip, "Well, duh, but I'd like to think my father wouldn't disown me in shame were I to truly go insane!"

Sighing in exhaustion, Link simply frowned as he sauntered off up onto the circular park of Sanadin, not wanting to have to give further credence to such crazy thoughts welling up with his Princess' mind. At this, Zelda huffed with frustration, though she continued along as well, her shoulders slumped in disappointment at this news of her father's disdain.


	2. Lady Urbosa's Arrival

Zelda slid her slate back into her pocket as her legs flew back and forth in impatiently rhythmic swings as she sat atop the corner edge of the stone foundation that fell beneath the mighty equine statue that peered over the horizon in its mighty stance, prepared to take fierce strides in its gallop toward adventure. She had earlier been excited to catch the symbolism relating to this adventure, though by now, Zelda's impatience thwarted much of anything in the way of enthusiasm.

For what seemed to be the hundredth time, she herself peered out over the southern skies for any hint of the arrival of her Champions, though now, thirty minutes after the presumed time of their meeting, she was once again met with disappointment, her frustration finally making itself known as she slid off from the stone wall, trouncing down toward the through way with heavy steps.

"Where are they?!" Zelda wondered aloud with impatient zeal.

Link, who'd been sitting cross-legged to the side whittling down the tips of a few of his arrows, turned his head up curiously, not having been too concerned on the time himself. He watched with little interest as Zelda spun back and forth toward the west and south, unable to ascertain what might have prevented their arrival.

"You don't think-"

"They came to their senses?" Link finished glibly, dropping his attention back to his arrow tips to avoid the glare that was sure to be shooting in his direction, "Not everybody is a servant of the kingdom of Hyrule."

Sure enough, Zelda  _was_ staring at Link, though the look on her face was one of worry. A frowned appeared there as she dropped her shoulders repeatedly, for a brief moment wondering if they had all abandoned her request, though she quickly reinforced herself, batting an open palm with her fist, strengthening her resolve as she spoke up resolutely.

"No, give them more credit than that," Zelda reprimanded, "They would not have agreed to come were they troubled by their problems at home. Each of them understood the greater good involved in this quest."

Link raised an eye row, " _All_ of them?"

"W-Well, Lady Mipha. I mean, sort of. Even she knew that accepting this would aid in the relations between her people and our own, I suppose. I guess other than Lady Urbosa…"

Not wanting to formally admit her own misgivings, Zelda remained silent as Link shot her a short glance, returning to his arrows absently as he replied, "I'm sure they'll arrive soon enough."

Such a show of resignation toward his fate in being here was quite rare, Zelda knew, which is why the statement caught her attention. She turned to send an unsure glance his way, watching him warily as his pocketknife slid down the tips of his arrows. Gradually returning her attention back to the Champions, Zelda gave a quiet sigh, slipping her Sheikah Slate from her pocket and roiling her lips to the side in curious determination, sliding down the nearby wall of cement until she was sitting with her knees peaked before her, resting her forearms there as she played with the small device.

"Let's see…" she instructed herself near-silently, "Shouldn't there be a magnification thing on here? Purah mentioned something about- AH!"

Link's eyes turned toward her without his body joining in, noticing Zelda's arms outstretched with wonderment on her face, moving the slate every which way until coming to a stop with it aiming toward her bodyguard, much to Link's annoyance.

"I don't-"

"You should keep up your facial hygiene, Link! Your skin's looking a tad dry," Zelda noted happily, almost unaware of how rude the statement might have been construed, lost as she was with wonderment.

Only slightly irked, Link frowned before shaking his head, tending once more to his arrowhead, "What have I gotten myself into..?"

Zelda pounded up to her feet, now spinning around in place with the slate guiding her movements, its zoomed-out lens offering her a better vantage point than the naked eye provided, "This. is. awesome. Link, you wanna try?"

Feigning a smile, Link replied sardonically, "I'm quite alright, thank you."

"Your loss," Zelda continued excitedly, "Look, Outskirt Stable! You can see the merchants with this thing! Think about the possibilities… I've spent so much time focusing on the ground, flora and fauna- With this, I could even start examining astronomical bodies! Oh my goodness, how exciting!"

Link returned his attention to her, "Don't you think it would be wise to focus on things that actually matter? I mean, you're royalty- there's going to be a day where you're going to have to make real decisions in the real world; why spend time on the stars?"

Pausing to think, Zelda dropped her arms, watching Link with a befuddled look on her face, "I mean, even the stars are a part of our real world, aren't they?"

"That's not- Okay," Link sighed, returning his arrow to its quiver and rising to his feet, slapping the dirt from his breeches, "There are revolts in Akkala. every year now. Why is that? A scandal took place; a Hylian soldier seized a local home while stationed there. He assaulted one of the daughters there and was killed, leading to a rising distrust of Hylian rule. So how do we deal with it?  _That's_  a real-world problem."

Zelda crossed her arms, her face softening with inquiry, "How do  _you_  think we should deal with it?"

"I-" Link stammered, confused by the question, "What? I'm a soldier; I don't make decisions, I just obey them."

Her lips yanking to the side, tinged with curiosity, Zelda explained, "Why shouldn't you make decisions? I want to better all of Hyrule; I want to better everybody's understanding, so that we can all better make decisions. Part of that is understanding the world we live in, our place in the universe."

Her head lowered only slightly, "My father is a good man, but he is not a perfect man- none of us are. He makes mistakes as any one of us routinely make. But if you bring everybody together, collect knowledge- you lessen the variables. I didn't choose to become a scholar simply to improve my own knowledge, but to improve everybody's- something my father, and many others, have not expressed much interest in."

Link chewed his lip, "I'll admit, it's admirable. I think your goals are lofty, at best; if you're trying to bring all of Hylia's people together in order to repel this calamitous event you believe will occur, or to better govern these lands- I think it's rather-"

"Crazy?" Zelda finished with a wry smile.

His words having been transposed somewhat accurately, Link merely shrugged, "You said it, not I."

Zelda pulled her slate back up into view, continuing her scanning of the horizon for any sight of her Champions, "Good thing I like crazy; when the mood strikes me, anyway."

Once again unsure of the predicament he had gotten himself into, Link groaned only to himself, peering off aimlessly down Safula Hill in the opposite direction, his ears perking immediately as Zelda's voice broke through the air, "THERE! Look! It's Urbosa!"

Fully expecting Urbosa to have played along to begin with, Link wasn't immediately thrown, simply turning to catch Zelda as she burst toward the pathway, grappling her around the shoulders to keep her from scurrying off toward her old friend, heaving as he pulled her back, "Prin-cess! Exactly  _how_  can I protect you when you go running off?"

Slightly perturbed, Zelda complained, "What's gonna happen between here and her?"

Link's brow rose, "Ghosts… Skulltullas..! Keese!"

Breaking free as Link burst into laughter, Zelda crossed her arms, muttering sarcastically, "You think you're so protective, huh?"

"Captain Ruzoll  _just_  instructed me to stay by the Princess' side, at all times," Link shrugged, "Even in the company of Champions, I'm bound to obey that command."

Zelda's eyes strained curiously, "So, Urbosa can throw boulders like pebbles, and you don't trust her to protect me?"

"I would put every pound of flesh in your way to keep you safe," Link explained, rather easily, considering his words, "The only person I know, and can trust, to do the same is myself. I  _know_  I won't fail, and even if I were to, it would only be within a realm where I have no further attachment to this world."

Zelda watched him with an expression resembling sorrow, tinged with pity at the thought of such a subservient existence. Such a world she'd hoped to change; perhaps to a world where such duties were no longer necessary.

"My Princess!" came Urbosa's voice, her powerful frame chugging up the remainder of the hill, a massive ruck sack held atop her shoulder.

Zelda spun around, her worry quickly fading at the sight of Urbosa, smiling brightly as she ran over, Link now allowing her to do so as the Gerudo woman crossed into the concrete park. Zelda jumped right into Urbosa's torso with a gratified shriek, the tanned lady easily holding her in one arm as she sounds around happily.

"Urbosa! It's been too long!" Zelda proclaimed, finding her footing as her surrogate mother of sorts returned her to the ground.

The Gerudo woman grinned, "Is that what a few months has become, now?! My dear, you surely don't mean to insult me; I may very well be a grandmother by that reckoning!"

Zelda only giggled, giving her another hug, "You know I didn't mean it like that."

"I suppose I did," Urbosa confirmed, her lips curled into a heart-felt smile as she returned the embrace.

Zelda's mother had been quite close to Urbosa in life, particularly taken by the powerful Gerudo woman's wily adventures in the vast Gerudo Highlands. As a young Hylian woman, she'd taken an excursion with a small group of explorers to those very same highlands, hoping to discover a handful of landmarks that had been a staple of many tales told about the "Lightning Queen of the Desert". Apparently, she had originally become fascinated by a story about Urbosa battling a massive Molduga from atop two humongous mesas, Spectacle Rock, the Gerudo chieftain leaping back and forth across the chasm to defeat the huge monster.

During the expedition, however, Zelda's mother was caught in a furious sandstorm, followed soon enough by an insane, never-ending bout of thunderstorms, crippling the troupe she had so carefully planned to adventure with. It was partly due to her youthful vigor, and quick thinking, that kept each member alive, and by the time Urbosa had showed up (in a helmet that one party member had fainted at the sight , believing ancient evils were upon them) the Gerudo chieftain immediately shone respectfully of the wily and resourceful woman.

Becoming fast friends, Urbosa never left the correspondence left by Zelda's mother until her death, though the Gerudo had already ingrained her bright personality within the presence of the young Princess, becoming something of a surrogate mother to Zelda, though the Princess might too proud and refer to her more as a sister. Regardless, Urbosa had remained one of Zelda's most fervent supports, funding much of the young woman's mother within her. Link knew, early on, Urbosa would not only immediately answer the Princess's call, but would probably very easily believe her claims of an approaching calamity.

Broken from his thoughts to find Urbosa launching Zelda into the air like a sky bound kitten, Link dashed forward with a pale expression of worry, despite the Princess' laughter, "W-What are you doing?! You could drop her!"

Still throwing Zelda into the air whenever she dropped back into her arms, Urbosa shot Link a wry smirk, "Young man! Link, was it?"

"YeEeEeEsSS," Zelda managed despite her flurry of movement.

Urbosa grinned, "Or maybe I won't drop her. I am happy to see you keeping your promise, though; to protect her."

"I-" Link replied, nervously, "Of course! It's in my mandate to keep my Lady safe, and one wrong-!"

Chuckling, Urbosa acquiesced, allowing Zelda to return to the ground as the Primcess recovered, wiping away her tears of happiness while the Gerudo noted, "You think you must protect her from me; but I assure you, young man, I was protecting this lovely lady before you were even wielding a sword."

She approached Link, giving him a playful push from her fist along his arm, grinning, "Still, keep up the good work."

Link frowned, "I'm getting the unpleasant feeling of being condescended to…"

"Why, I never!" Urbosa replied, more with sarcasm, "I wouldn't dare insult a fellow Champion."

A silence fell upon the three of them, finally forcing Urbosa away from her charismatic demeanor as she turned warily back from one to the other in her party, "…am I missing something here?"

Zelda shook her head, "Link isn't a Champion. or, rather, he didn't agree to be."

Urbosa's brow fell cryptically as she turned to Link with a quizzical look, one that he rather readily picked up on, explaining himself, "The Princess can order me to do a lot, but she can't order me to disobey the King's mandate. Were I to join your company, I would be risking my availability as her bodyguard- something I cannot allow, so long as I'm alive."

The Gerudo's face spun with subtle confusion, simply remaining still as though having forgotten something, as Zelda excitedily popped upward in sudden zeal, throwing an arm into her backpack while speaking breathlessly, "OH! Urbosa, I brought you a gift to commemorate this meeting!"

"A gift?" she questioned, her mind pulled from her confusion, "Dear, you shouldn't have. Your smile, alone, is worth being in your presence."

Zelda shook her head, "No, no; I brought a little something for everybody. Just give me a… A-ha!"

She pulled a rolled-up tapestry, returning her pack over her shoulder quickly to unfurl the ornate blanket, which was rather small compared to the massive, wall-sized tapestries that Urbosa kept at her home, Zelda hiding her disappointment behind an unsure smile, "It, uh- I know it's not the proper size, but, uh, I made it myself, so-"

Urbosa examined the shabbily-constructed crafting project, immediately showing the hearty smile that so often accompanied her, stepping toward Zelda and taking the tapestry from her to examine it further, " _You_  made this?"

With a weak smile, Zelda nodded.

"Then this is a product of the finest craftsman in all the lands of Hyrule," Urbosa assured warmly, earning a heartfelt stare from her surrogate daughter, "I will cherish this for the remainder of my time on this soil."

Zelda laughed softly, "You make it sound like such a bigger deal than it is."

"But it is!" Urbosa claimed in a hurry, "We're only allowed so much time here, allocated only so many actions to take. Instead of spending your moments building a legacy or any myriad number of any other thing, you chose to spend your time for my sake. For that, my dear, I am eternally grateful."

Zelda lowered her head in an attempt to hide her smile, leaving Urbosa to clap her hands as though she were prepared to take charge, turning her attention toward Link, "Alright, Link! What's on the docket? We just waiting on the rest of the Champions?"

"Assuming they show up, basically," Link replied, less than enthused.

Urbosa spun her lips distastefully, "The Kingdom of Hyrule holds immense sway. Don't think the request of one so beloved as your Princess to be disregarded so easily."

"Well," Link began in reply, turning away to glance off into the distance, "I do hope you're correct, for the Princess' sake. I doubt the Gorons will have an issue sending their representative; he's- Well, he and I have a history."

A particular wryness crossing Urbosa's face, she asked in a teasing tone, "Oh, you  _must_  tell, now!"

Sighing, Link shook his head, "It's nothing like- Daruk and I are kind of sworn brothers."

"Sworn brothers!" Urbosa exclaimed, rushing up to Link's back and wrapping her arms around him like a leech all but pouncing for further gossip, "That sounds so cute!"

Link shrugged her off, hurriedly backing away with a start, covering his face to hide a blush, "Wh-! I-! This is  _serious_  business! I saved the man's life, I'll have you know! Have you even a clue how many bokoblins had to taste the edge of my blade for me to earn such a reverent designation?!"

Between his blushing and his words, Urbosa's hands jumped to her cheeks, a glimmer showing upon her eyes, "Please tell me the tasting didn't stop there!"

"I-" Link suddenly paused in confusion, "What?!"

Clearing her throat and wiping a wrist across her forehead, Urbosa calmed herself in a quick manner, having recognized how quickly she had lost her faculties, "N-Nothing, I assure you. E- uh- Princess, whom else shall be accompanying us?"

"Please, answer," she continued, evading Link's terribly confused state, noting Zelda's slowness to reply.

Lost in thought, Zelda suddenly answered quietly, "Oh, uh, Lady Mipha will be- She'll be the Zora's representative."

"Another Princess!" Urbosa exclaimed excitedly, "I haven't the honor of meeting her! Have we anything to worry about regarding her potential absence?"

Link shrugged, "I doubt it. With the birth of her brother, a male heir, she's been allowed far more freedom than before."

He paused, turning his body away as though bracing himself for another rampant verbal assault from Urbosa, "She and I  _are_  acquainted somewhat, however, so-"

"Ah!" Urbosa spoke back up once more, "You  _must_  tell!"

Apprehensive to a high degree, Link only replied with a silent glare of uncertainty for a moment before explaining, "My mother would take me there years ago on a joint-assignment to better improve Hylian-Zoran relations. We offered some of our technology to better help them improve their Domain, and they offered some luxuries only available atop Upland Zorana. I was quite young, but I did meet her on occasion."

Nodding, and taking a radically less enthused reaction to this tale, Urbosa happily replied, "Well, boy, even without being a Champion yourself, you certainly are proving quite useful, already, to the company!"

Link shrugged, "If it means keeping my mandate, I haven't an issue calling in any and all favors."

"But you certainly must tell me more about this 'sworn brothers' business, I beg of you," Urbosa concluded, leading to another confused glance from Link as the Gerudo turned back to Zelda, "And what of our Rito Champion?"

Zelda frowned, "Sadly, they're our one wild card, so to speak. I wasn't able to gain an audience with the elder of the Rito, but was told that, if the winds allowed, they might send one of their lesser warriors along, a Rito by the name of Revali, whom Link and I met during our previous journey. It seems their distaste for Hylians supersedes their ability to send a Champion of their own people, though I haven't a doubt Revali is as true of a soul as his shot with the bow."

She continued, "And he and Link don't exactly like each other, so there isn't a 'sworn brother' thing in this case- anything but, really."

"Eh, I wasn't ever exactly into all the feathers," Urbosa shrugged dismissively, earning her yet another confused glance from Link as his brow fell forward in growing distrust, "I do hope he does arrive. Truly. If one of the goals of this journey is to bring all these peoples of Hyrule together, we'll need a Rito present."

"Indeed," Zelda agreed, "In the meantime, the deadline was only for today, so there remains plenty of time for the three's arrival. I'm not too worried, however; they'll all arrive."

Urbosa watched her surrogate daughter for a moment before releasing a warm smile, "So regal, you've become."

Holding her head up high, Zelda cleared her throat, "A Princess never worries!"

"Of course not," Urbosa confirmed softly, turning to Link, "Especially not with such dutiful bodyguards at their side."

At that, Zelda's began to fall, a certain light leaving her face as her thoughts turned wayward, thinking back to a time where her inadequacies seems so very magnified at Link's side- the Royal Guard who so naturally took to his destiny, even if that destiny was nothing more than to be a servant. Perhaps her own destiny was truly meant to be difficult, to be a burden to bear; though, even as her lip trembled, hands rubbing up and down her arms to ward off the growing chills, she couldn't help but think back to that time she so angrily tore herself from Link's protection, her guilt rising like the tide.

That time where she so readily thought that stripping Link's destiny from him was somehow a means to advance her own.

But even now, despite his inability to care any less about this endeavor, Link still proved far more resourceful than she, another chilling fact that sent a quiver down Zelda's spine.

For if not for him, would it not simply be a quest for her and Urbosa alone?


	3. The Champions Completed

"BWAH!" came the exclamatory zeal of Daruk as he strode up to the Park, Mipha following along at his side as the large Goron pumped a fist through the air, "Leg one of this journey completed! Link, my brother! How are you?!"

He rolled up on Link, who offered a hand while smiling, "If it isn't the baddest Goron this side of Eldin Canyon. I'm doing f-!"

Link's speech came to an immediate halt as Daruk shook his hand, pounding a massive palm into Link's back, though he just managed to remain upright amidst the friendly assault, "…fine… Yourself..?"

"A Goron's day among friends is never one of anything less than spectacular!" the large boulder of a man boisterously assured with a laugh, "And look who I ran into on the way! Lady Mipha's company is one of many fanciful tales and pointers- I shan't have been a bore myself!"

Mipha approached from behind the Goron, offering her own hand to Link with a soft smile, "I was traversing the river and coming across Inogo Bridge, I found him standing there waiting for me."

She giggled, hiding her face politely as she did so, "I don't think he wanted to be lonely for the entire trip."

"H-Hey now," Daruk nervously replied, scratching the back of his head, "You'll put a chip in my image… Now, where's your Princess? Surely you didn't come without her!"

Link pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "She and Urbosa are catching up over there, so-"

"Then I must give my thanks for the invitation!" Daruk exclaimed happily, "It is not every day you're invited into a roving fight club, scouring the lands to put on shows for its denizens!"

Link's face fell in confusion, which Daruk seemed to catch rather quickly, the Goron running through his memory for a brief moment, "or is this the thing with learning about the Divine Beasts?"

"That seems more accurate," Link nodded, "…and less deadly."

"Bwah ha ha! Have no fear, my sworn brother; you could hold your own against any Goron!" Daruk assured before stepping off toward the other end of the Park to greet Zelda and Urbosa, leaving Link to peer his way with worry at what activities the man must have been doing in his off-time.

"Ehm, greetings," came a weak voice from behind him, leaving Link to return to Mipha's sight with a acknowledging nod.

He bowed low in respect, "Lady Mipha. Thank you for making this journey on behalf of the Kingdom of Hyrule."

Mipha shook her head, even though Link couldn't see her, still holding his bow, "Oh, I've already had a good time listening to Daruk recount most, if not all of his life, along with a few tales that I'm not sure were dreams of his or simply embellishments."

"He does that," Link replied, nodding while continuing his near-right angle, "If you interject something along the lines of rock sirloin, he'll-"

A chill ran down Link's spine as the cold skin of Mipha's hand gently touched his cheek, its dry smoothness undercut by something of undulating waves from within that gave only a subtle sensation of plumpish give, her voice following along happily, "Please, you mustn't be so reverent. You can stand upright."

Her hand began to tug at Link's cheek, directing him back upright as the Hylian nodded obediently, "Yes, my lady."

"See? Now isn't this much more casual," she nearly giggled, returning her hand to her rucksack, the strap of which she'd had held in front of her, "I've wanted to explore the world for so long; I'd much rather it be with friends than with soldiers."

Link's lips curled uncertainly, though he went on for her benefit, "How are those turbines working? Still chugging along?"

"Yes," Mipha replied with a smile, "Was that the last time I saw you?"

Thinking for a moment, Link nodded, "I believe so- it had to have been; that was the summer before the good King Dorephan decided to cut off our arrangement."

Mipha's expression fell, "Well, uh- Yeah."

Suddenly feeling the air dampen, Link grabbed his arm, looking away with further uncertainty now that Mipha was obviously drawn inward toward her thoughts, leaving him standing their with his awkward stance until she spoke back up.

"Did they ever explain to you why?"

Link shrugged, grinning, "One of the best things about my line of work is that I don't often worry about the 'why's. I leave that to my liege, and-"

He took a glimpse over his shoulder, frowning, "and my Princess… Whatever the reason, King Dorephan was quite good to us as guests; I haven't an ill thing to say about him. He's benevolent and wise; he had his reasons."

Mipha nodded, raising her rucksack back over her shoulder, careful not to slam it into the lengthy trident that sat strapped to her back, "Well, hopefully this excursion will allow you to return."

"Me?" Link wondered curiously.

Her eyes darting to the side, Mipha clarified, "That is, you  _and_  Hylians in general. Though, you  _did_  make quite an impression while you were there; I'm sure quite a few of my countrymen would recall you."

Link felt another chill as he lowered his head, "I, uh, don't believe I-"

"Mipha!" came the thrilled voice of Zelda, the two Princesses meeting in a fierce embrace as Zelda nearly flew into the Zoran lady, who just barely kept herself aloft, "My goodness, it's been so long! Sidon was just a little teeny-tiny thing back then!"

The Zora Princess gave a smile, "Oh, yes."

Zelda glanced at her with a critiquing glance, "Is he still tripping over that dorsal fin of his?"

"Constantly," Mipha replied with a subtle series of giggles, "He'll grow into it though."

Happily pulling her bag up toward her, Zelda went on, "Oh! I brought you a gift as a thank you for agreeing to join our company, and now that I think about it, it might be just as nice for your brother as well. Let's see- Here!"

She pulled out a thin book, one with a fantastical scene on the front, that of some Hylian children sitting in front of a tree as though listening to it speak, quickly changing hands as Zelda offered it to Mipha with a smile, "I know you like Hylian fairy tales, so I made sure to find another book of them for you to read. Though, you might be able to use it to help Sidon learn Hylian script as well, having thought of that a moment ago."

Mipha nodded with a smile, "I suppose that would work. Thank you very much, my lady."

"Now," Zelda suddenly tensed, "We don't need any of that, now."

A boisterous laugh came from Urbosa as she and Daruk returned from introducing themselves, "Uh oh, watch out! She's in scholar mode!"

Zelda whipped around, "I'm  _not_  in some mode… I just think we're all in this same boat now- I don't need any titles or anything, just my name. That's what I'll go by."

A soft smile from Mipha sealed the deal as she nodded, "I just asked the same of your bodyguard, here. Zelda."

The Hylian Princess gave a sigh of relief as she reached out a hand, "Thank you, Mipha."

Mipha giggled, as though suddenly turning mischievous, pointing toward Link as she continued, "And that's Link.

Then pointing to the Goron, "and Daruk."

Then toward Urbosa before her face switched to one of curiosity.

"And Urbosa!" came the pounding of Gerudo breath shaking the air, "Chieftain of the Gerudo! Scourge of the Seven Sands! Queen of the-!"

Zelda's waving hand forced her to resign herself prematurely, "Uh, Lady Urbosa, don't you think-"

"Pfft, heck no! I don't mind people using my title!" Urbosa boasted happily, "Here, I have fifteen more parts to recite for you all; Chieftan of the Gerudo! Scourge-!"

"Daruk!" Zelda exclaimed, hurriedly rushing her hand into her backpack, "I brought you a gift as well!"

Glistening eyes appeared atop Daruk's face as his voice shuddered, "A-A gift? For me? Surely, you shouldn't have! Taking an adventure with my sworn brother is gift enough for me!"

Link turned away from Urbosa's curious glare that had met his eyes.

"I mean, I wasn't entire sure what to get you, but I managed a request with one of our excavators and- Here!" Zelda proclaimed, pulling a rock from her pack about as big as her hand.

Daruk's eyes immediately glazed over in wonderment, "Opal! By the goddess Hylia, have you a clue how many rupees that would fetch among my people?!"

"Really?" Zelda wondered curiously, examining the rock in her hand.

A hand in front of her face to hide her cough, Urbosa asked lowly, "Uh, Zelda, should we think about-"

"But I love it!" Daruk exclaimed happily, "I hope it won't offend if I decline to eat it at this moment. Such a thing is only for the most cherished of cherished occasions."

Zelda shook her head attentively, "That is fine by me. A gift from the Kingdom of Hyrule to you. Do with it as you will."

Pulling the opal toward his pocket, Daruk's eyes wandered for a moment, waiting for the eyes that had once been on him to avert as the others continued their conversations, subtly and quickly reaching down to simply lick the face of the stone, the taste coursing along his tongue as he stood there in the lap of contentedness, a mouthful of eons, of Hyrule's infinite history, dancing in his mind.

* * *

The sun had already begun its descent, now advancing low toward the mountains of the east as daylight crept toward its end. Still waiting for their final Champion, Zelda had made the executive decision to wait atop Sanadin Park for their representative of the Rito, whomever that might be. She and Link had suspected Revali, one of the lowliest among a tribe of people so reverent of bloodlines, though neither she nor Link truly knew. Their summation of Revali being their representative came mostly from the Rito leader's rather low respect for, both, this quest and the Kingdom of Hyrule; surely he'd simply cast off some lowly worm wrangler to merely get the Princess of his back.

Where the Rito saw worthlessness, however, Zelda saw something more; what passed as gossip among the Rito often became stories for the Hylians, and Revali was no exception. The tale of the Rito without a mother, found as nothing but an egg upon the soil, hopelessly ignored; for whom might have left such progeny to be taken by nature if truly worth the blood within them? The next part of the tale, that of Revali's bursting from his egg without the need of a mother, or even a nest, was taken by the Rito as some laughable embellishment. Surely he was simply prolonging the inevitable; Mr. Left-For-Dead would surely die without a teacher to pass on the gift of flight. Surely he wouldn't age with the entire world against him even before birth.

Zelda, however, saw a fierce determination within that lost Rito. If he could not find a home among his people, surely he might find one among this Company of Champions.

Without disclosing as much to Link, she secretly grew to hope that Revali would join them. For all the Rito's accomplishments, however, it didn't come without pride; for somebody having to scrap for everything, and having earned every bit of it, Revali had begun to exude a certain proudness from within him, his pride making him a rather difficult person to get along with, and having rubbed Link the wrong way from the start.

Perhaps that was how he wanted it, Zelda had surmised at the time.

"The winds are growing faint," Mipha muttered, her skin easily the easiest of the group to catch such a phenomenon.

Daruk grumbled, turning over in his sleep, "Mountains're beginning to cool off. I'd say it would be wise to consider shelter, or at the very least a fire."

He peered over his shoulder toward the group, "Not that it matters much to a rock-man…"

Watching him with a friendly smile, Zelda replied with a pep in her voice, "Alright, we'll get a fire going. I want our Rito companion to know how faithful we are, waiting g here for their arrival. No point starting off on the wrong foot."

A mischievous chuckle left Link's lips, though Zelda ignored him, instead turning to catch the wry smile of Urbosa, "Well, well; we have our leader's first order. You did it with such gusto, too!"

Zelda comically puffed her chest out proudly, slamming a fist against her chest as a soldier might in salute, earning a playful applause from Urbosa and Mipha, Daruk sleepily joining in only near the ending. Relieving her lungs, Zelda giggled to herself before turning to Link, instructing him to start a fire with the few pieces of lumber that had already been acquired for this moment.

"Question," Mipha spoke up timidly, raising a hand as Zelda turned toward her curiously, "I'm not  _too_  well-versed in Rito affairs and all that goes along with that, but might I ask why exactly there is bad blood between them and Hylians?"

Zelda frowned, pressing her hands into her hips as she peered off, "I wouldn't say  _bad blood_ , but-"

"I would," Urbosa shrugged, earning a droll glance from from her leader.

Groaning, Zelda pressed on, " _I_  would call it animosity, in any case. Nothing as deep as a blood feud, at least not anymore. But, basically, the Rito used to rule the western skies, for generations- their ancestors roosted there, hunted. For the longest time, Hylians hadn't a clue the Rito even existed- they were always quite suspicious; but when Hylians began pressing outward, settling in those lands to the West, the Rito saw it as a malevolent act, even though those Hylians hadnt even a clue, right?"

"There are so many stories," Zelda continued, a sift timbre hanging in her voice, "Hylians catching sight of shadowy figures in the sky at night, hanging just over the moonlight as if using that glow as their vehicle, catching Hylians in their talons and carrying them off, only to be found days later, nary a bone to be found unpicked."

Urbosa quickly interjected dismissively, "More than likely old-wives tales. No Rito has ever even tasted the flesh of a Hylian."

"Still… Stories  _do_  have an effect on people," Zelda went on, muttering quietly, "Whenever the Rito needed help or assistance, so many Hylians turned a blind eye as a result, sometimes causing deaths among the Rito as a result of their inaction. Enough generations of such things, entire cultures can be torn apart by more than geography."

Mipha nodded in acknowledgement, lowering her head reverently while Zelda sighed, clapping her hands, "But enough about that. Part of this whole endeavor is about ridding ourselves of such things. Link, how goes the fire?"

She felt a piercing stare from the soldier crouched on the ground, running a knife along a slab of flint, "Did you think that all it took was dropping everything with just a single swing at it?"

Zelda shrugged, "Isn't that exacyly-"

"Alright, alright," Daruk managed as he pushed himself to his feet, sauntering over toward Link with a groggily determined grin, "For my sworn brother, I will work wonders. Allow me."

With a hand in offering, Link dropped the flint into Daruk's hands, who clasped his hands closed, grinning boyishly while churning his two hands together, increasing in vigor as a ball of heat began to form within his grasp. Not long after, sparks began to pour from between his hands as she rubbed, as though a spoonful of glowing soup were cascading down toward the pile of wood and grass. Such an allotment of sparks quickly caught alight, and a roaring fire wasn't far off as Daruk stopped his hands' movement, dropping the flint to the ground to cool rather let than return it to Link's hands.

"Voila!" he exclaimed.

Zelda and Mipha's eyes bolted open in awe, the former declaring her wonderment, "Wow, Daruk!"

Unperturbed, Daruk triumphantly posed with his hands atop his hips, "Just one of many talents, I assure you!"

"Wow, indeed," Link sighed, eyeing the slab of flint that was now nearly nonexistent.

Daruk frowned, noticing his sworn brother's dismay, simply chuckling nervously as he scratched his chin, "Er, uh- I'll be sure to assist you in acquiring more; I didn't realize it was so exorbitant!"

Graciously enough, Link only smiled, giving the mighty Goron man a vigorous pat at his arm, "You underestimate me, my friend. I brought far more than one single stick of flint along. Thank you for the offer, though, I do believe I'll handle fire duties here on out."

Nervously, once again, Daruk could only laugh at such words from such a tinier being than himself.

Amidst the chatter amongst the women behind the two of them came the sudden gasp of Mipha, who quickly spun toward the north, her voice a mix of excitement and apprehension, "The air! It churns!"

The others followed her attention, with Urbosa being the first to note, "Some Rito do fly with such force that the winds kick up and the atmosphere shivers. Surely this can't be Revali, can it?"

"Tch," Link shook his head dismissively, crouching down and tending to the flames as Daruk joined the women with a boisterous voice.

"How exciting!" he declared, "I cannot wait to meet my brother amongst this Company!"

Muttering under his breath, Link quipped, "You're not missing out on-"

"There!" Mipha shouted excitedly, pointing toward the darkening rays of sunlight, a quickening shadow descending toward them at an arching angle.

A furious breeze picked up, sending the Company's clothes and hair aflutter, even sending Mipha's dorsal fin sailing into the winds with enough force that she needed to grab hold of it due to its rising discomfort. Like a rocket, the winged object burst just overtop the line of intrigued Champions, sending a plume of tornadic winds directly through the Park, immediately snuffing out the flames that Link was tending over, sending the Hylian's head sinking low in defeat while the Rito man swirled upward before hitting the ground, his talons sending a loud CLAP as they broke the atmosphere between themselves and the concrete ground below.

Mipha immediately began to applaud at such a show, with Daruk not a moment late in following her lead, with even Urbosa offering a minute series of claps at the scene. Zelda quickly hurried to the fore, the Rito's feathered arm reaching across his chest before bowing low with his other arm outstretched with regal pomp.

"My lady," the Rito began, his torso falling ever so deeply, "Revali, at your service."

Zelda was quick to reply, "Revali, thank you so very much for accompanying us on this journey. I do appreciate-"

"WOW!" Daruk cried out, rushing up to Revali's side, sending the Rito recoiling in revulsion, "That was astounding! For one so bound to the earth as I, never before have I so longed to feel what the Rito feel!"

Unenthused, Revali slowly pushed Daruk away, gradually returning his attention toward Zelda, "I trust this…assignment won't be completely devoid of class the  _entire_  time?"

Daruk seemed unfazed, either due to his waning excitement or simply a misunderstanding, though the rest of the Company, Link included, immediately shot a stare at the Rito, with Zelda apprehensively taking to the fore with something resembling confidence, "I- I don't think Daruk meant any ill will by-"

"No matter," Revali shrugged, stepping away from Daruk as though wholly uninterested in politeness, "I should point out that  _my_  company was requested, not volunteered."

He eyed the rest of the group, "As were all of yours, I assure. As such, I do expect- and you all should- a certain level of decorum while in the service of the Princess Zelda. We're not ravenous dogs, prancing about- we're to be the best of the best, correct? I trust that you all have high enough standards that…bursting forth into one's face is still seen as utterly obnoxious and quite rude, and if you all wish to be seen as Champions, I suggest acting as such."

Finally understanding Revali's intentions, Daruk's face fell unenthusiastically, his arms crossing while Mipha looked on in shock, unable to understand how such rudeness could be espoused. Urbosa remained in the background, with only a droll expression to show her emotions, though, as Revali turned to find Link, once again beginning the fire from scratch, Urbosa's eyes tensed.

"I would expect such from  _him_ , I suppose," Revali noted aloud, shrugging before turning his attention back to Zelda, "He  _does_  remain a mere bodyguard, correct?"

Unsure how to answer, Zelda simply nodded, leaving Revali to sigh, returning a glare toward Link, "Pity. For one so assured of themselves, it must be such a pain."

As though it were a table tennis match, the Company's heads jolted from Revali toward Link, catching the Hylian's smirk, though otherwise, he didn't reply at all, simply continuing to run his knife down the slab of flint. Silently growing annoyed, Revali gestured in Link's direction.

"How I poke and prod, yet he remains so quiet and full of himself!" he noted aloud, "How good do you think you are, Hylian? How much better do you believe yourself to be?"

Link rose to his feet earning a collected, worrisome set of grumblings from the Company, with Daruk stepping forward and holding a hand against Link's chest to keep him from anything stupid, though Link allowed his words to act in action's place, "Perhaps it's not a question of  _my_  worth, but of your own lack of such a thing."

The Rito's eyes narrowed viciously, as though far more ready to take a peck of skin from Link's face than turn and leave. However, something akin to cooler heads prevailed, with Revali turning toward Zelda with a sneer.

"I have no qualms about taking it upon myself to make a name for myself along this excursion," Revali explained with a tad of disgust in his voice, though he quickly threw a finger in Link's direction, "Though, I would enjoy the common courtesy of knowing that this one won't slit my throat in my sleep."

Zelda groaned, not believing she was hearing such things, "Reval- Everybody, just calm it down, alright? Link isn't gonna slit  _your_  throat or anybody else's. Now, we have to get along; did your elder not explain what we were doing? How will it look if even  _we_  aren't coalescing?"

Revali eyed her with confusion, "He merely said we would be carving our names into history from the blood of all the Hinox we'd be alleviating this world of."

With a whimpering sigh of defeat, Zelda's shoulders slumped, "Yet another who takes this endeavor about as seriously as an itch…"

Looking on with further confusion was Revali as Urbosa was quick to offer a reassuring pat among the Princess' back, "Now, now. Okay everybody, fall in; obviously we're going to have to get Revali here up to speed, but we can do that while- Well, I believe our leader should announce our next course of action."

Link being noticeably absent from the collective, Zelda took a deep breath to prepare herself, "Alright. As it's getting late, we might as well camp out here for the night. By the light of dawn, we'll be heading up to the peak of Satori Mountain to ask its guardian spirit for its blessing before our trip. After that, we're to head south, to Gerudo Desert. Given Lady Urbosa's status, that should be the easiest, and therefore, our first milestone upon this journey."

Running an uncertain hand along her arm, Mipha's lips pursed in concern, "A-Are you sure we'll…"

She trailed off in worry, afraid of becoming any sort of hindrance, though Link was quick to speak up in answering her plight, "I was asked to prepare for most anything. We've brought jelly which Zoras can use on their skin to remain moistened, though, I'm not entirely certain how it will fare atop Death Mountain. I was also told to expect bridges not to be crossed until arriving at them."

Zelda's fingers fiddled at her chin at his words, quickly reorienting the conversation, "Alright, if everybody would like to pitch in on pitching tents, by the light of the moon, we'll be able to explain ourselves to our final member. Again, Revali, thank you for your time."

Shrugging, his feathers fluttering from the movement, Revali replied, "Whatever this…journey may be, I can't help but feel as though my talents will be better demonstrated out in the wilderness. You have every honor to ask of me what you will in order for me to do so. My bow is rigid and my aim true. Allow me to prove such a thing so that my reputation may precede me in the future."

His verbose language catching Zelda off guard, she still managed to bow respectfully, offering, "Thank you again, Sir Revali."

Link could only mutely chuckle as he stoked at the flames before him.


	4. An Understanding in the Dark

The stars shimmered within the heavens above, along with the slight flames being the only things keeping Link company as he sat beside the fire, sat back in a relaxed pose as he stared into those flames licking the air. Occasionally he would pay credence to those blips of starlight, thinking of Zelda's words from earlier, though he would just as quickly reorient his thoughts, thinking of the mission to come, and how fruitless it seemed to be. Still, it was his assignment, and while he so rarely doubted that part himself that proved too loyal, tonight allowed such questions to just barely break over his mind.

"Can't sleep?" came Urbosa's voice from behind, causing Link to flinch just slightly, still remaining with his eyes on the flames.

He shrugged in reply, "I can't, even if I wanted to. Some skirmishes are going on down south."

"Ever the vigilant knight," Urbosa chuckled teasingly, making her way toward the fire and taking a seat as a breath of relief passed her lips, "You can't ever turn that off, can you?"

"My fealty?" Link questioned, "I'm not exactly supposed to."

Urbosa grinned, "I know we're sprouted from different cultures, but while every Gerudo takes a bow of service, they're not at all expected to hold so much on their shoulders at all times. Not nearly to the extent as you do, anyway."

With a half-hearted shrug, Link replied, "We don't have a desert to do most of our defending for us."

Urbosa scoffed, holding back a laugh, "You also don't have gigantic sand worms at your gates."

"Okay, touché," Link offered humorlessly, earning him another chuckle from Urbosa as she reached her hands out to better receive the fire's warmth.

She allowed a moment of silence to pass before speaking up once again, "That was quite a stunt, though, earlier. Are you required to start fights as well?"

Grinning, taking his turn to correct Urbosa, Link answered, "Actually, yes, back in the barracks. We'd spar and wrestle to improve comradery, but in the field, I'd say no."

"Such terrible traditions," Urbosa mused with a dismissive sigh.

Link glanced toward her with a smirk, "Don't tell me you all sit around like this and talk to build comradery."

Scoffing quickly, Urbosa answered simply enough, "No, no; we just take knives and bloodlet amongst our sisters to accomplish that."

Ignoring Link's sudden surprise, Urbosa turned to give a smirk of her own, "But thank you for taking this discussion as my attempt at getting us to know one another more. Saves me from having to beat around the bush."

"Wait," Link stopped her, " _Real_  bloodletting?"

Giggling mutely, Urbosa sighed as her eyes rolled, "You so easily believe such fantasy and yet you dismiss your own Princess' claims?"

Link frowned, "Taking you at your word that you cut each other up in the name of comradery is far different than taking Zelda at hers'."

"Hmm," Urbosa mused, nodding to herself.

"You're not the one claiming that these ancient, malevolent forces will somehow reappear out of the nether," Link shrugged, "Nor that these ancient Beasts are the keys to somehow defeating such an evil."

He watched Urbosa sit there unfazed, at though she weren't even taking his words into consideration, earning his inquiry, "You don't believe her, do you?"

Urbosa remained stagnant as she sat there, the light of the flames bouncing along her bodily form as her eyes remained transfixed, only allowing a single blink before answering, "Even if she's wrong, I see nothing wrong with what she has going on with this Company."

"Yes or no question."

Grinning, Urbosa shot Link a glance, "What good does my opinion do? At worst, we're improving the relationship of a myriad of people on this earth who all have to live alongside one another and cooperate. At best, we're doing a mighty fine job of keeping all those same people alive."

She shrugged, "I figured that's what kept you around for this."

Link dropped his head, "I'm here because my King instructed me to protect his daughter. I'm a single order away from leaving."

"Is that why you cling so desperately to that life?" Urbosa asked with a hint of aggression in her voice, as though hoping to get a rise out of her comrade, "Because it's so easy to live when you're only taking orders?"

Link glared at her, a quiet frustration growing as a result of her insinuation, "I'm a knight of the Kingdom of Hyrule. If you believe that life to be anything less than the most strenuous of existences, it's a testament to how little you know of my breed."

"Listen to you," Urbosa chuckled, "You sound as though you were born to take orders. I've seen you out in the field, boy; you're tapped for far greater than the lashing tongue of some higher-up."

Dismissively, Link turned his attention to the campfire, reaching for another log to place within their scorching reach, sending a billowing plume of smoke into the sky, before sitting back once again, turning silent while Urbosa watching him with curiosity. She gradually returned to her own self once it became apparent that Link was no longer interested in conversation, simply playing with some ornament on her vestment that had started to come undone.

"It's no one's place to question their fate," Link suddenly spoke up, a darkness tinging his voice.

Urbosa smirked suddenly, peering toward Link's direction, "Ah. Is that why you dislike Revali so much?"

Faintly, Link thought for a moment before replying, "He's a brute. He thinks he should own the whole world. But he should know, and understand, his place in this world; we  _all_  should. Were his destiny able to back up his attitude, I wouldn't mind so much. But he's  _just_  like me- nothing more than a whelp. and a whelp has no business hoping to advance themselves. It does nobody any good to hope for such things."

Her face having dropped slowly, Urbosa watched Link sadly as he spoke so concretely about himself, dreading such an existence for herself. But, then again, she'd had a pedigree herself; wasn't she simply doing as Link himself prescribed?

"The world needs whelps, whipping boys, worm-wranglers. We can't all leave those lives behind with nobody to fill them," Link concluded, again, rather easily, having thought about it for quite some time, clearly.

Urbosa lowered her head respectfully, though she wasn't sure why. Perhaps she felt for this man something along the lines of pity, but then, why? It certainly didn't seem to bother  _him_. Maybe it simply was a chance for her to reflect on her own rule, one which she had fought hard to become as benevolent as she could make it. Might there be some, even under her rule, that faced the same mindset as Link? Surely not, she hoped.

Link's body tensed suddenly as Urbosa pushed herself up to her feet, looking off into the distance with an insightful enough stare that Link's own eyes wandered over to where she appeared to be envisioning. Slowly, keeping her eyes focused, she rounded the ring of stones guarding the fire, bending low to grab two scimitars she had brought with her, raising her arm to aim them out toward the open field just beyond Sanadin.

Uneasily, Link watched cautiously as Urbosa grinned, "Come on. We're gonna try some of that comradery you spoke up."

Link's brow curled in confusion, forcing Urbosa to snicker quietly to herself, "What, afraid of sparring with a girl?"

"I have  _no_  problem dueling a woman," Link assured, "I've got a slight problem dueling  _you_."

Urbosa's face shined with a proud grin, "I seem to have some of that preceding reputation Revali spoke of. We're still gonna spare, though; it'll get us both tired enough to sleep again."

Link refused, still, forcing Urbosa to cock a smirk, "That's an order."

Sighing heavily, Link pushed himself up, shaking his head, "You know I'm aware you're just screwing with me, right?"

"Yet here we are," she winked, handing off one of the swords before the two strode beyond the reaches of the campfire's flickering light."

Link asked solidly, "So what's the real reason for this?"

"I just need you to be aware of how able I am when it comes to protecting your Princess," Urbosa shrugged, "I cant have you staying up all day and all night simply because you think you're the only one capable here. We're a Company of Champions for a reason."

Eyeing her dismissively, Urbosa reiterated humorously, "Consider it a reality check."

"I'm the  _only_  Hylian in this group bound to reality, you know…" Link groaned in reply, earning a laugh from his Gerudo companion.

Urbosa reassured, "Just take it as comradery building, then; as I said earlier. Though, if you're still too slow on your upswing, there may be some bloodletting yet."

Her chuckling betrayed her words, leaving Link slightly perturbed, if only because of her critique of his swordplay- how did she even remember such a thing from their previous meeting? Still, he remained aware of her own style of combat, the Gerudo's previous showings having grown somewhat into legend, even in her own lifetime. Lady Urbosa, known throughout Hyrule for her fluid, yet powerful, movements, meant to both confuse and astound opponents who just so happened to not have known the name. Even so, dread often came upon those foolish enough to challenge her, seriously, atop those sands she'd honed so much of her skills amongst.

"I'm just kidding; don't look so serious," Urbosa teased, readying her sword, "Loser gets one slash. If it's you, I'll make sure it's where no one can see it."

Link scoffed, allowing a smirk to cross his face as he dramatically swung his sword around in front of him, stepping back to take a striking pose, "I may just get a slash in during the duel, so make sure you're allowing yourself the movement to accept it where you'd like."

The two lost any sense of cordial language as they immediately drew their sword, pouncing at one another, sending a shining bolt of sword and spark flying through the air as their bodies wrangled and tore through the dark air. It was clear Urbosa had the advantage, dashing from side to side, flying through the air; however, Link's entire training predicated taking the defensive above all else, and he skillfully drew his sword back against his body to catch her blows, maneuvering his own body just in time with hers in order to dodge the blasts of metal coming his way.

Urbosa began to laugh happily as their duel progressed, much to Link's confusion, who was giving up all he could in terms of combat prowess. As his opponent's blows grew more and more endless, he felt his tired limbs begin to catch up with him; his gradually exhausted expression must have been the source of the opposing duelist's delight. Not long after, the butt of Urbosa's blade caught Link's elbow, forcing him to recoil to the side, where Urbosa swiftly caught him in the back, sending the Hylian to the ground with a THUD, leaving him grabbing a fistful of dirt as he worked his way back up to his feet, desperate to continue on, though Urbosa had already dropped her blade.

"Not bad," she surmised with a smile, "But I still believe I've won a chance to watch over your Princess, at least while you get some sleep."

"I'm fine," Link spoke, somewhat unconvincingly after exerting himself so heavily.

Sighing, Urbosa wondered aloud, "What are you trying to prove? That you're Hyrule's Toughest while staying awake twenty-five hours? Take a note from that duel- You can't watch your own back, not all the time."

Reaching a hand out to take grab hold of the sword in Link's hand, Urbosa shook her head, "You may not be a member of our Company, but you're among us all the same. We've gotta look out for one another."

Catching Link remaining still unfazed, Urbosa smirked, "or do you truly want to come across as proud as Revali?"

Such a statement finally seemed to catch something of a glimmer in Link's eye, the Hylian's sight finally falling toward the sword in his hand as his lips twisted in distaste. A chuckle left Urbosa in something resembling amusement as Link relinquished his hold, allowing her to take the sword back into her possession.

"We don't all have to like each other," Urbosa noted, "But we sure need to learn how to coexist amongst one another. And so long as you're unable to trust the rest of us with the safety of this Company- we're Champions for a reason-  _I_  certainly won't be able to trust  _you_  to make the right decisions."

She smirked, "or were you expecting to escort her through Gerudo Town?"

Link sighed, "You have a point."

"I have the victory, too," she replied with glee, pulling the sword upward and managing to only graze Link just below his shoulder, where the minor cut would remain hidden beneath his shirt.

His face grimaced only slightly as Urbosa hummed to herself, turning to retrieve her accompanying sword and returning back to the campsite, leaving Link to stew for a moment before following along, head hung low at the bruise atop his pride. Still, he knew it to be true; that Urbosa, and even Daruk and Mipha, were all more accomplished than he when it came to combat. Yet, he couldn't pinpoint why exactly it bothered him- he wasn't interested in this mission to begin with. But it was his life's work, his binding goal, his destiny, to protect the Royal Family to the best of his ability.

"Hee hee!" came a gleeful voice as Link stepped back onto the concrete pathway of Sanadin Park, his face curling with disgust as he recognized the voice of Revali.

"Had I not seen it with thine own eyes- I do believe you lost a duel to her!" he goaded on, snickering to himself.

Link muttered in reply, "There's no dishonor in losing to Lady Urbosa. You, however- were you ever to defeat me, I'd hide that shit in an instant."

Another wild giggle came from Revali as he stroked his feathers, perched atop one of the walls of the park, "T'would be an honor you're not exactly worthy of to fight me, I assure you. I've heard Hylian blood is an absolute terror to preen out of feathers, anyway."

"Not surprised with that bird brain of yours you wouldn't be able to figure it out."

Revali grinned, "I'll have you know, the great Rito researcher Kelneho spent years examining Rito and Hylian skulls and found at least one Rito to have a brain larger in comparison."

"Such science," Link replied with a droll expression, "Sure you don't wanna duel and find out between us?"

The Rito gave a dismissive grunt, "And ruin my callow charm? Doubtful. But please, tarry off to sleep now; we can't all have the privilege of requiring oiled feathers at all hours of the night."

Link sauntered off, shaking his head as Revali gave him a final critiquing glance before returning his attention to oiling his feathers, stroking his arm with his beak as the night sky grew to become his only company, with Urbosa by the fire, keeping watch, as Link received some rest.


	5. Shrine Tasting

**_Part One - Vah Naboris_ **

The Company made their way up the ragged cliffside of Satori Mountain, more so rounding it than challenging the strenuous inclines that a direct route would encounter. Mipha took the fore, her slick skin allowing her to better challenge the Rock faces, while Daruk remained last, vigilantly prepared to make a mad dash to catch anybody who might fall, though Revali made it known, already, that gravity was a mere tempestuous beast for one with such a gift as he had, that of flight.

So lost in her map was Zelda that Link remained close behind her so that he may take hold of her shoulders, directing her when she inadvertently strode too near an edge, losing herself in millennia of histories upon the scroll of parchment paper in her hand.

"Oh, this is interesting," she suddenly mentioned aloud, "Mogg Latan is right up this next incline, it seems."

"Allow me to fetch a tissue," Revali muttered at her foreign words.

Zelda shook her head, "No, no, no. Back when Purah and I were first investigating-"

"Context, dear," Urbosa noted constructively.

Sighing dramatically, Zelda dropped her arms in front of her, "Purah is a Sheikah lady- you know, the oldest race of beings on this earth? When I first grew interested in all this old Sheikah technology being dug up, I went to her sister, Impa, who was uninterested in unlocking  _that_  past, so-"

"H-Hold up," Daruk interrupted warily, " _That_  past? Why do you make it sound so ominous..?"

Zelda's brow curled worriedly, "I didn't make it sound that bad, did I? I just meant-"

"About as ominous as a tsunami ravaging the entirety of Death Mountain," Link teased, earning a particularly frightened glance from his sworn brother.

"No, no!" Zelda exclaimed impatiently, "Look, the Sheikah are wary of using  _anything_ from their past. Not because it's dangerous; just because they figure the past is where it belongs."

"Then you've got the Yiga Clan, Sheikah who believe that technology should have been used all along," Urbosa noted with a nod, "Though they're terribly bitter that their more-conservative kin have more or less 'won out' on public opinion."

Zelda held up her hands, "Not that any of that is relevant right this instant! Look, Purah and I went through and catalogued all of the known shrines, as well as those theoretical ones that pass along the ley lines at key junctions- little invisible pathways through the ground that act like a network that binds all Sheikah technology. So we essentially named them all as landmarks so that, at the very least, they'll have some use until we figure out how to use them."

"Hmm, what about that shrine just as you pass into Gerudo Desert?" Urbosa wondered aloud, "What's it called?"

Zelda brought her map back up, closing it in onto her face at the tiny script, "Uhh… Kay Noh Shrine."

"Bwah ha ha! Such silly names!" Daruk exclaimed happily.

Mipha's voice perked up, "Must be derived from the old Sheikah language, correct?"

"Exactly; we figured that would be the most reverent thing to do, if only to remind us of the past," Zelda confirmed easily.

Hiding a giggle at the prospect of the giant formation in the center of her home, what name would it have, Mipha asked, "May I ask about the one within Zora's Domain?"

Zelda nodded inattentively, as though her attention were far elsewhere, but answered, "Hmm, I think- Ne'ez Yohma."

"Pfft," Daruk managed, quickly covering his mouth to shield the others from his boisterous laughter.

"You can let it loose, Daruk; nobody will be offended," Zelda offered with a soft smile.

He quickly shook his head, still pressing his hand against his face, "Last time I gave anything more than a chortle, the mountain I was standing let me know it disapproved. I'd hate to know my carelessness would be putting our troupe in danger."

"Oh, by the skies above!" Revali exclaimed, turning to Daruk with a fierce expression, "Just imbibe, you man of mineral! You haven't an inkling how it sets my feathers asunder when people deny pleasure- just let loose! C'mon! Ha!"

Daruk's face twisted into something that emulated a blush as Revali repeated, "Come on! HA!"

"H-Ha…"

The group coming to a stop, turning to watch the odd scene, Urbosa dropped her face into her hand, "Daruk, would you please just go along with it so we may move along?"

Daruk bit his lip, "But I don't quite feel like laughing anymore..."

Groaning, Revali turned toward Zelda, "Recite more from the scroll of immense study, if you would."

Zelda's brow curled with confusion as she turned her attention to her parchment paper, though Revali quickly reoriented his ire, "No, no- actually, you, Zora, you have the voice of a crestfallen octo who's just peered upon the horizon, you'd be better to recite."

"P-Pardon..?"

"Recite! Please, it would do me the honor!" Revali goaded, puffing up his chestful of feathers in preparation for Mipha's recitation.

She turned toward Link for reassurance, the Hylian merely shrugging in reply as Mipha lowered her head in defeat, reaching out for the scroll of paper Zelda was offering her, even the Hyrulian Princess wearing a look of worry. Still, Mipha's resolve was strengthened by the eyes upon her in expectation, clearing her throat as she squinted at the foreign script.

"Uh… D-Dayn Whoma…," she weakly eeked out with worrisome eyes turned atop the scroll toward Revali, who quickly spun his head to examine Daruk.

"Well?" he wondered aloud, "Why have you not lightened the hearts, yet, of your peers with your spirited ejection of laughter?"

Grabbing his stomach, Daruk weakly answered, "I'm just a bit queasy at the moment…"

His piercing eyes narrowing as his mind churned with curiosity, Revali's onslaught was interrupted by Urbosa slipping the scroll from Mipha's hands and rolling it up, slapping it across her wrist to gather the Company's attention, "At this rate, we'll not make it back down before nightfall. Zelda, if you'd please."

"Y-Yes!" Zelda yipped attentively, her eyes curiously resting atop of Mipha as she readied her speech, "We press on. Mipha, if you don't mind remaining up front?"

Nodding diligently, Mipha strode back toward the front, making a point to hide her face from Link as she passed by him, forcing a curious few thoughts to from in the man's head as he watched her only fleetingly, retraining his attention back toward the group before falling into formation.

* * *

"There!" Zelda shouted excitedly, bursting forth from the single-filed group to dash up the final embankment concealing the giant, ornate structure that sat nestled along the cliffside.

The Company trudged up that same mound that Zelda had so desperately bolstered her resolve to overtake, finding her having already taken the lifeless terminal that poked out from the front of the shrine itself in her hands, running her skin over the coolly smooth surface. Link groaned, having already recognized Zelda's fascination with these things from their original journey, though he still made it to her side amidst the confused musings from behind him.

"Intriguing," Daruk nodded, reaching out to run his own hand along the odd surface of the shrine, following one of the discolored strands of squiggling lines that embraced the rock-like formation, "This is no rock I'm familiar with. Its igneous, though; considering the Sheikah were building these so long ago, it's possible the world was such that they had access to earth we know nothing of."

"An astute observation!" Zelda opined happily, turning to Link, "Do you concur?!"

Link's eyes narrowed with confusion, having no clue as to what she was wanting from him, only watching as Zelda returned to the structure, "Either this is foreign rock- like from a comet or shooting star- or perhaps it's somehow manufactured?"

"Manufactured?" Daruk questioned while stroking his chin.

Mipha spoke up, "Vah Ruta  _does_  create it's own water, independent of any climate conditions. I suppose if the Sheikah were capable of that-"

She paused as Zelda froze, save for her eyes tensing in study, lowering herself closer to the strange pedestal until her face was nary a few inches away, leaving Urbosa to warn, "Watch it. She's in scholar mode."

Zelda sent a glare toward the Gerudo woman, "I'm  _not_  in some mode."

"I do believe the same look is brought upon fish from their skyward brethren in nature," Revali shrugged, "Particularly before a very intense swooping that results in a pin-point snatching of said fish into one's beaks."

"Translation," Urbosa grinned, "Scholar Mode: Activated."

Like a gremlin, Zelda spun slowly back toward her ancient terminal with a curled face, simply returning to her scrutiny of the object while Link pointed out, "There seems to be a spot for your slate, huh?"

"Yeah, but-" Zelda sighed, "Purah and I tried as many shrines as we could reach, to no avail. It's almost like they're all powered down or something."

Weakly still, she pulled her Sheikah Slate from her pocket, sliding it into the simple slot upon the terminal, again, to no results. Even so, most of the group had had their curiosity piqued, with even Ravali giving the Slate a glance as though expecting it to work some magic to power on the shrine.

Sighing, Zelda pulled away the Slate, "And  _that's_  what is called a failed hypothesis."

"Pah," Revali scoffed, "What was, once, does not always remain. I've trail the skies, all throughout my life, with such an idea plastered upon my mind."

He brought a feathered arm across his chest before bowing, "Some Rito wisdom to pass onto the Princess of Hyrule Kingdom. I only hope to continue such a trend."

Urbosa hid her rolling eyes while Link curled his lips inward, biting down to keep from scoffing aloud.

Zelda wiggled a finger across her face in thought, her eyes turning suspiciously toward Daruk, "Might you be able to tell this rock and the material of the Beasts to be similar?"

"Uhh…" Daruk replied warily, "I suppose I could, but- I was never good at retention of- That is to say-"

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously as his brow curled with embarrassment, "I  _was_  always better acquainted with, uh- taste, I suppose."

"Oh, by the  _goddess_ ," Revali exclaimed unhappily, rolling his head along his shoulders, "I'm to be told we're beginning this venture by having a Goron take a taste of some stony structure only to taste  _another_  and compare the two's compositions?!"

Urbosa grinned, "It's a pretty neat trick, Rito."

"Indeed," Link nodded, taking a chance at a jab, "I'd like to catch  _you_  doing him one better."

Revali physically cringed in revulsion, the two currently facing the quandary not having noticed the rest of the Company's arguing, instead finding Zelda seriously considering Daruk's offer. She peered at the structure inquirously, finally pounding a fist into her open palm, turning toward the Goron enthusiastically.

"Will you?!"

"I- I suppose, but-" he replied, eyeing the others, "Could, uh- you guys turn away..?"

Revali let loose another scoff as Zelda hurriedly spun away from the shrine, gesturing at the others to follow along, with a hushed number of disbelieving tones in accompaniment. His nervousness levied for a few precious moments, Daruk was left alone with nothing more than his intention to leave a good first impression for the Princess, taking a deep breath before reaching his face closer toward the shrine's outermost casing, his tongue stretching out and ever so delicately pressing against-

"AAA!" he cried out loud, throwing his head back amidst the Company's sudden whirling around to figure out what had happened, Daruk crying out painfully again, his tongue held beyond his lips, "AAAA!"

Revali crossed his arms, shaking his head as Link burst past him, forcing the Rito to steady himself before muttering, "Welp, he's done for."

Tears swelled up in Daruk's eyes as his arms flailed around, his feet dancing in place as his cries carried on, forcing Link to quickly take to the soil below, Zelda's worried shouting joining the noisy atmosphere, "Daruk?! A-Are you okay?!"

"AAAH!" came his reply, as though he were a child greeted with a disagreeable taste, though unable to spit it out.

Link took a handful of dirt and rushed toward Daruk, tossing the dry dirt right into the Goron's face, an allotment of the soil catching his face, meeting the Company with a moment of quieted whimpers from Daruk, though not for long, his cries immediately continuing as he shook his head rapidly as though to communicate to Link that his action hadn't took.

"This is just-" Revali murmured as he looked off into the distance, unable to realize that he'd become the target of Link's rushed stare.

In a split second, Link aimed a finger toward the Zora among them, "Mipha! Your knife!"

Her eyes growing wide, Mipha didn't bother to argue, simply grabbing hold of the Zoran knife at her waist while Link zoomed toward Revali, stealing a stride beneath his wayward glare and pilfering an arrow from his quiver, the movement forcing his attention back onto the Hylian, "I BEG your PARDON, whelp?!"

Mipha tossed the knife past Zelda's trembling frame and into Link's free hand, before he began rapidly sliding the knife along the length of the arrow's head, rushing to collect metallic shavings from the Rito's ammunition, much to the revulsion of Revali.

Daruk continued to wail, though came to sudden halt as Link tossed the metal shavings into his mouth, the Goron suddenly beginning to calm down, much to the relief of Zelda, especially, who quickly strode toward Daruk as Link backed up with a sigh, the Princess immediately doing all she could to hug the man.

"I- I'm so sorry!" she cried in apology.

The Goron shook his head before clearing his throat, "N-N-No prob-lem. I j- That was the foulest, most disgusting taste I've ever had the displeasure of tasting!"

"As if that were not  _obvious_  from the very start!" Revali spewed as he yanked the ruined arrow from Link's hand, sneering toward the Hylian, "You'd better hope I decide not to peck out an eyebrow because of that."

Link sneered back in a sarcastic fashion as Daruk's voice returned mid-sentence, "-had it not been for my sworn brother! Such quick thinking!"

Shrugging, Link assured him, "I remembered that time you took a bite out of that rock eye and found a ruby inside it only after chewing it up. Your friends seemed to have already realized what your Company has- your taste is not only your biggest attribute-"

"Hm, yes; it's my biggest weakness as well," Daruk chuckled, gently patting Zelda's head as she pulled away, "Worry not, Prin- er, Zelda. I must assure you that doing my best to perform your requests does nothing less than please me."

Zelda sighed, "Well- at least warn me, next time. I do not wish for any of you to go through any trouble for  _my_  sake."

"Well, if you truly wish for me to accomplish this task, please, may the goddess allow us to come across something better able to sate my pallet aside from, uh, Revali's…"

He turned toward Revali, who'd still kept his head turned away in a huff, arms crossed. Slowly enough, at being referred to, the Rito man's eyes peered from their narrowed window before quickly shutting again, allowing Revali his stuffy air as he replied.

"Were it not so jarring to discover that the very things meant to keep me alive were also something of a delicacy…"

Grinning, Urbosa reached over to playfully tap the Rito's shoulders, "Perhaps you shouldn't do  _any_  pecking, now that Link knows to simply sick his Goron brother on your arrows."

A fierce stare lead from Revali to Link, his feathers brushing against the breeze while he frowned, leaving Urbosa to continue along, breaking the tension with a rousing declaration, "Okay, we've been lollygagging too much! Zelda, would you please do the honors of continuing our expedition to the summit?"

Zelda felt the stares trailing from Urbosa to herself, a quivering running along her spine as those pairs of eyes all came upon her, the Princess' voice shaking back into normalcy, "O-Okay! Champions! We'll-"

"-and Link…" Revali muttered in a heated breath.

A strand of awkward air pattered amongst the group, leaving Zelda to pick up the pieces on the fly, "Er, let's press on! We'll take a break at the summit after we've offered our prayers, and hopefully, be back at the base by nightfall. Alright?"

Only nodding heads came in reply, allowing Zelda to turn back up toward the incline just nearby, trudging upward as the rocky terrain ended, leaving Mipha off point for the time being. Her resolve, she hoped, would drown out the insecurities she felt about those stares that rested upon her after Urbosa took control of the group.

Stares that certainly appeared to her to be ones of uncertainty.


	6. The Rito's Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do apologize to anybody wholly uninterested in my fake legends of these BotW races xD Any of them I present, however, will certainly relate to the characters themselves, if not now, then later on- while I'm totally fine creating and exploring these cultures, there might as well be meaning behind them :p Hopefully they interest you somewhat, at the very least :)

Zelda knelt down, clasping her hands together just beside the tiny lake of water that sat bowled near the peak of Satori Mountain, bowing her head reverently below the flaking blossoms from the tree above. The rest of the Company bowed their heads as well, though it was only Zelda who took the few steps forward to offer up her prayer to the guardian spirit that was said to reside there: the Lord of the Mountain.

In hushed tones, she began her prayer, "Guardian spirit of the mountain. Please watch over this Company of Champions as we seek only the highest good."

Her chest heaved in worry, "Please allow this troupe to get along. Please allow me the opportunity to accept my destiny. I don't know what it might be, and the spirits of the great shrines had nothing to tell me. Perhaps you might allow me the chance to understand."

Her voice tugged at her throat as she spoke them quietly, not daring to allow the others to hear her, though her head lowered even further, her voice shaking as she thought of the journey ahead of them.

"Please let me be right about this…"

With that, she took a deep breath before nodding to herself in conclusion. As if in continued blessing, she dipped her fingers into the waters of the small pool of water before rising to her feet, turning back to the Company who began raising their heads expectantly.

"Alright," Zelda began with a nod, "That should do it, hopefully. We'll take a quick rest up here- Link, you go on and prepare a meal for us, and then we'll break camp and try to return to the base of Satori before nightfall. Is that a plan?"

Daruk raised a triumphant fist, "Any plan involving the food of my sworn brother is a good one!"

"Indeed," Mipha nodded with a grateful smile, "It made quite an impression on the few of us Zora who tasted it."

Grumbling nervously, Link scratched his neck as he peered away into the distance, "It's no big deal…"

"Pfwah!" Daruk scoffed aloud, swinging the large cooking pan from his pack, "You learned enough to knock the rocks off of some of our finest gortisseries! eh, including me!"

Hovering over Link, his eyes drew expectantly, "So what are you making..?"

"Well hold your horses," Link instructed, "I learned how to cook in the army, on extended lookouts. You've got nothing  _but_  time, so you learn how to cook food slowly, extracting each and every flavor."

Mipha's fin flopped ungracefully from side to side in curtailed expectation, "You even manage to make it sound good before having started."

"It probably isn't all  _that_ ," Revali challenged suddenly, waving a feathered hand through the air, "Taking some dead think and stripping it of its skin, or letting your flora sit and lose most of what it offers. Tell me, Hylian, have you caught the thrill of snapping your prey from the very earth at top speed?"

Link eyed him, "No, but I had a fox crawl into a trap of mine once. Is it similar to that?"

"You may have your jokes, but we Rito have only the finest cuisine amongst this land," he bragged, raising his head high, "Only  _we_  understand the quickness associated with all things succulent and juicy. Head lose the pelt, where do you think all that goes?"

Link shrugged, readying the communal meal, "Keep on like that and you're not getting a portion. I'll go easy on the seasonings, though; I'd hate to blow you away with my first meal."

Revali scoffed, but his rumbling stomach couldn't help but force him to remain somewhat curious of the man's words. Still, he puttered away while Mipha and Daruk remained in view of the pan of growing ingredients, subservient to their desires. They remained nearby, all to anxious to eat, and all to happy to help Link with gathering anything he needed in order to continue preparing.

Along the mountainous earth however, Zelda remained seated by herself, watching the others with a solemn gaze, quick to turn away at any point when their eyes might have met her own. She did her best to remain as though she were busy with other things, slipping her Slate from her belt and toying with it, though the device remained shut off. Her sidelong glances remained, longingly staring toward the others as they seemed to be so entertained by the goings-on that remained outside of her grasp.

"Princess," Urbosa suddenly spoke from her side, launching Zelda into a quick hop of surprise as her head yanked to look up toward the Gerudo woman, her deep voice chuckling happily, "Don't seem so surprised."

Zelda took in a sharp breathe before apologizing, "S-Sorry."

Shrugging, Urbosa took a seat beside the younger woman, "No need to apologize. Just came by to check on you; your face seemed kind of lonesome.:

Zelda scoffed, turning an incredulous toward Urbosa, "Lonesome? I'm in a Company, of my own assembly no less. I'm not lonesome; I can't afford to be! I'm a leader now, thank you very much."

Huffing confidently, Zelda shut her eyes as she raised her head proudly, offering up a grin from Urbosa, who mutely giggled to herself, "So confident, huh? Well, far be it from me to question such a thing; I was merely coming by to ask."

Urbosa went ahead and pulled her scimitar into her lap, its edge still tender from the night before, taking this chance to pull out a sharpening stone which she carefully ran along the sharpened edge, truing the blade as best she could. The  _shhiiick shhiiick_  of her motion laced the air as Zelda kept a secretive glance on the campfire, Daruk and Mipha so ensconced with the smells emanating from whatever concoction Link had already managed to cook up, with even Revali staring from afar, his curiosity piqued as well.

As surely as Urbosa had mentioned it, Zelda's heart tugged longingly. She'd never had a plethora of friends, most of her acquaintances having come from handmaids or servants of her father's choosing, none of whom ever truly showing anything that might have been called a friendly demeanor. Even her schooling had been done within the castle walls, her tutors showing nothing of charisma either. To be sure, her mother had been the only true friend Zelda had ever had, and whenever Urbosa came to visit, it was easily the happiest times of those long-ago days.

Apart from that, her journey with Link had been the first point where she'd truly been able to spread her wings, physically as well as socially; her entire life of longing for friends being dashed by a silent soldier. Even surrounded by friendly people within this Company, she couldn't help but feel apart from the lot of them. She knew she was awkward, an attribute developed by her ravenous studying in place of friendships, and that her status as a Princess often presented her far more reverence than she ever cared to be shown.

"Would we be here if not for  _him_..?" Zelda wondered aloud, quietly, her head hanging low as she caught Urbosa's questioning glance.

Urbosa gave a quizzical stare toward the others, "…Who, Link?"

Sighing lightly, Zelda curled her arms around her knees, pulling them into her chest, "I mean-"

Silence fell upon her, though Urbosa quickly recognized her to be in a saddened mood. For all the teasing she performed on this young one, she had truly developed something of an understanding when it came to Zelda and her emotions; for one so socially inefficient, she never did hide them well to begin with. Still, it allowed Urbosa something of maternal satisfaction, and she gently reached a hand over to press against Zelda's back, rubbing along there to alleviate some of her anguish.

"I used to hate him so much," Zelda muttered quietly under her breath, "He so proudly flaunts his destiny, eager to remind everybody where his duty lies. How easy it must have been for him to be born a guard, knowing from birth what his life would amount to. I despised that, knowing my own destiny continues to be non-existent. Why should a Princess lack a purpose while a soldier is so confident in their own…"

Her body raised in quiet glee as she chuckled sadly, "That's immature though. I tried so hard to understand  _him_  instead, to put my insecurities aside. But… I cant help but think, once again, I'm merely piggybacking off the destiny of another. Were it not for Link, the Champions would not extend beyond the two of us…"

"Ah, well," Urbosa began with quiet exasperation, "I had no idea that  _you_ , Princess Zelda of the Kingdom of Hyrule, had  _any_  intuition or foreknowledge of what fate the Great Goddess, Hylia, might have placed upon you, or anybody else! Please, you  _must_  tell  _me_ , sooner than later, what She has in store for my own self! I would quite keen on such divine knowledge!"

Zelda tried to hold back her laughter, arising from such a tame show of credulous sarcasm from the closest person she had to a mother, allowing Urbosa to continue on unabated, though she did wrangle in her mood, "We don't know any of these things. And if Link is right about one thing- there's no point killing yourself trying to figure out what's in store for you. Maybe it  _is_  more difficult for you for a reason, but-"

Her eyes wandered over toward the rest of the group, her head falling to the side, "Perhaps your fates are intertwined in some way. Who knows until it happens. But until then, there's little point in you being so apart from them. Who cares how, or who brought them to this point; maybe that's how She brought you to this noble journey, through his own journeys."

"Or maybe this is all flying in the face of every one of our fates," Urbosa replied with an exaggerated shrug, her arms outstretched as she did so, "In any case, make some friends. Regardless of your fate, friendships are wonderful to have."

She grinned, "You've known  _me_  long enough; you know your mother would totally same the same thing."

Zelda thought quietly to herself for a brief set of moments, turning toward Urbosa with a timid voice, "How do I do that?"

"I don't know; tell stories or something- you know a lot of those, don't you?"

Zelda sighed, "Sadly. What I get for having more books for friends than people…"

Smiling, Urbosa leaned over to playfully lob a shoulder into Zelda' side, "Well, guess what; they're all stuck with you now. You can't exactly mess up being friends with them."

"Ugh…" Zelda groaned queasily, shaking her head, "You're only making me more nervous."

Urbosa smirked, "Part of my job, my Princess. Now, my other job is to eat, and whatever's over there is calling my name, so-!"

She rose to her feet, offering a hand to the younger of the two, "C'mon. Nothing soothes the heart, or creates friendship quite like food. Probably why so many people like him to begin with."

After the trek up the mountain, as well as the subsequent worrying, Zelda felt her empty stomach tangle up within her, slowly taking Urbosa's hand and bringing herself up to her feet as well, following along at the Gerudo's side while Urbosa pounded at her chest, sending a booming voice across the peak.

"I am now prepared to fight you all for the lot of that delicious-smelling dish!"

Daruk's face jumped up to meet here's, gritting his teeth as he took a swipe at the air, "You'll have to surrender the mightiest of Gorons to sate such a desire!"

Grinning sincerely, Urbosa leaned in toward Zelda, "See? Easy."

"Easy..?" Zelda murmured to herself, trying to ward off thoughts of being pummeled by a being eight times her size.

* * *

Bowls were passed around, much to the hopefulness of much of the Company, the uncertainty of Revali, who requested switching bowls from one of the others, just in case, and the expectation of Zelda, who'd often been the recipient of Link's cooking during their first journey, though being the more practical sorts, they'd gone without many accouchements that might otherwise lend to those meals being 'delicious'. Even working off the land, Link managed to create interestingly good dishes, so now, having spices and herbs, she had been expecting quite the jump in taste.

"I must say, eating off the wilds of Zorana most my life, this is certainly interesting," Mipha admitted curiously, poking at the soupy contents of her bowl.

Link nodded, "Well, it's de-boned heron, fixed with sautéed mushrooms in butter, covered by a radish stock. I figured I'd start you all off with one of my favorites."

"Favorites?" Mipha asked, suddenly more curious as she respectfully pulled her spoon from its poking and prodding, "Might I ask what heron is?"

Already pouring Daruk his third helping, Link answered, "It's a bird with a long neck. This one was from Northern Tabantha."

Mipha felt a chill down her spine as her eyes jumped across the fire, Revali's eyes staring like bullets at Link, his spoon nary an inch from his open beak and his eyes narrowed critically, figure paused in something resembling incredulity.

"Do you not eat cucco, though?" Daruk asked boisterously, his curiosity piqued by Revali's inability to eat as the Goron might.

Revali sneered, dropping the spoon into his bowl and starting over, carefully avoiding the bits of meat within, "…we try not to point it out."

Shrugging, Daruk turned to Mipha, "The Zora's eat fish, do they not?"

"Quite readily, actually," she smiled, her pride in her people coming to the fore, "Porgy is simply the best prepared steamed! We have scouts run down the Necluda streams and catch them- only the best can accomplish this feat!"

Scoffing as his feathers puffed, Revali nagged, "I  _do_  apologize if I do not exactly share enthusiasm with one who sees the scales upon their skin as well as the scales upon fish and see little or nothing wrong with such ravenous activity."

Mipha's head and shoulders began to contract forward, as if hiding herself, leaving Daruk to charge in reply, "You  _just_  mentioned-"

"We eat feathered fowl  _for_   _necessity_ ," Revali noted haughtily, raising his head, "We Rito would  _never_  debase ourselves for our most primitive of desires; we are simply too good for such things."

Noticing Mipha's dejected air, Link reached his spoon over and dropped a rather hefty piece of mushroom, from the height of its stem, into her bowl, muttering quietly, "There. That's the best part. Don't let him get to you."

Mipha's eyes raised in solemn comfort, staring as Link returned to nursing the pot of food, in the event that anybody required seconds, or fifths. She felt that same chill from moments ago as she studied Link's straight face, his eyes peering into the dish of his own design. Carefully, Mipha took her spoon as the arguing before her continued its drowned out acoustics, her mouth nearly burning at the acceptance of the soup, its heat trailing down through her body in the most delightful of ways. She'd forgotten how cold Zora cuisine tended to be; this sort of fulfilling warmth was seen as too indulgent, but now, it seemed just what she needed after her previously disheartened mood.

"As it says in the great stories of the bird god, Witwa! The product of a feather's premature end is-"

Daruk roared, "I can  _not_  for legend; why don't you care to taste my sworn brother's dish?!"

Revali's face curled, "And you have the nerve to continue eating while engaged in this threadbare conversation?!"

"It's DELICIOUS!" Daruk replied, shoving another spoonful into his mouth.

Suddenly, Urbosa's voice broke through, "Boys, cut it out! Daruk, as we've already seen, Revali hasn't a problem eating  _around_  the heron, just leave him be. And Revali, can you not at least show some semblance of respect for the man with whom this meal was made possible?"

A neck twitch coming from the Rito accompanied Daruk's frown, though the two men eventually came to something of an agreement, Revali sighing with that same haughty air, "I suppose I might could enfeeble myself in the name of respect. Witwa  _might_  just accept an apology in that instance."

Daruk grumbled, taking in his fourteenth bowl, "Each their own, I suppose."

Taking a deep breath, Urbosa nodded, finally able to enjoy her dish with the spirited conversation having died down, "Now, perhaps our leader has some words to say."

"I-I do?!" Zelda asked nervously, immediately feeling the eyes of everybody upon her, earning nothing but indifference from Urbosa as she continued eating, "Uh, I- Revali! Tell us about this Witwa character!"

Quickly tossing the baton to another, Revali proudly raised his head, smiling as bright as anybody among the Company had seen him, "Ah, yes! Our lord Witwa! Well, it began as a tale between the three triplet birds created by Hylia's handmaid, Farore. There was Witwa, the oldest, and his brother and sister, Timte and Vurla. Witwa was wise as he was powerful, and his jealous siblings plotted to overtake him, the resulting battle atop the Hebra Mountains causing enough of a traumatic moment upon the land of Hyrule that, to this day, it results in rockslides and avalanches, these ancient tremors even rocking our very village atop its mighty perch! Vurla was killed, but Timte remained against his elder brother, even though he was greatly disadvantaged. As it is told, Witwa rained his might upon his younger brother for hundreds of years, though Timte remained steadfast, taking the brunt of every strike, again and again, praying for any opportunity to rise to the ranks of his brother. Only by a bit of trickery was he finally defeated by our lord Witwa!"

"Trickery?" Zelda asked, ensconced.

Revali grinned wide, gleefully accepting such a question about his heritage, "Witwa was  _too_  wise, and had already deduced the love affair between the younger siblings. Bringing the bones of Vurla to the fore, her body having decayed entirely during the prolonged battle, Timte's mind was tossed asunder, and he was bested by the greatest among the three! Though, one cannot help but empathize for the younger Timte; such resilience has not been witnessed since."

"Wow, how fascinating," Zelda nodded sincerely, having forgotten to eat as her ears had been filled instead, "Aren't the triplet birds meant to symbolize the three corners of Tabantha?"

With a notably gaze upon the Hylian Princess with all the humility of a teacher upon a student, Revali answered, "Why, yes! We have one so knowledgeable amongst our group!"

Zelda tried to hide her bashful smile as Revali's chest puffed out in proud elegance, "You must know, then, of the Tale of the Flightless Mother! Bossia lost her cygnets in the ravine that had gone hollow, and their tail feathers came back wet! Bwah ha ha! Such a silly one, indeed! Had I a mother, I can tell you, I would be goading her all the same!"

He continued his gleeful howling, his laughter contrasting the dark air surrounding Urbosa as she carefully left her spoon resting along the rim of her bowl. Link's eyes went sidelong, watching her carefully as Urbosa's face fell, leaving Zelda to muster the courage to try and alter the trajectory of the conversation she herself had started.

"Eh, Reval-"

He interrupted her suddenly, lost in his capricious bellowing of verbose language, "Parentage can be such a fickle thing to begin with- I haven't a clue why anybody would ever predicate their continued existence with the idea that any child would-"

A loud  _clang_ broke the air, silencing the Rito as the rest of the party ran their gaze toward Urbosa, her head drawn down low. Her bowl had been dropped to the ground, her body ever so still for a moment before the sauntered upward onto her feet, turning to step away from the group without a word. Amidst the worried expressions of the Company, Revali merely returned to his own bowl with a shrug.

"Much like the Rito themselves, our stories don't often land with everybody," he surmised trivially, "Anyway, Bossia took those wet feathers and-"

"Just hush already," Link challenged lowly, poking at the campfire with faint motions.

Offended, Revali charged back, "I  _beg_  your pardon, Hylian! Was not I who was given charge of the reins of conversa-"

"Urbosa can't have children," Zelda muttered, frowning sadly with her own head buried toward her chest, trying her best to bridge the divide, "I mean, she  _can_ , but- then again, she cannot. It's…not something she cares to be reminded of."

Revali's glare turned droll, in disbelief of such a trifling event having broken his own rousing telling of his people's stories, though he simply scoffed to himself before returning to his bowl, still able to feel the mood, which had fallen to something of woeful patience, Daruk and Mipha both able to catch sight of Urbosa across the peak, staring off into the distance as she settled down. While Zelda had the most knowledge of this entire thing, Link had pieced together enough on his own, simply focusing on the flames beneath the pot as he often did among his brigades. Most often, his comrades would mutter on about women, ales, many things Link hadn't much of any interest in.

He'd become so good at staring down only those flames, zoning the world out, sitting quiet. It was one of the things he'd found himself to be rather skilled at, and given the boisterous retaliations of many, being quiet was quite the skill in Link's experience.


	7. Crossing Atop Pages

With Urbosa's mood sullied, and the rest of the Company either uneasy or wholly indifferent to the current state of emotions, Zelda had taken only a quite look toward the waning sunlight to make the call to remain atop Satori for the night, simply to progress delicately enough in these early stages. She had described it to Link while setting up camp as a cross-country runner stretching before a sprint, and although Link remained completely indifferent himself, probably even wishing the troupe simply finished their job so that he could return to his normal existence, he managed to keep his thoughts merely to himself.

With the night sky taking its course, the light strokes of flames billowing up from the campfire reflectively bounced atop the crimson skin of Mipha as she sat in quiet watch, wielding her picture book that Zelda had given along her lap, smiling softly to herself as her eyes scrolled along the pages. As her fingers carefully turned the page, a smile crossing ever so gently across her face while her free hand reached up to hold onto the end of her ruby-like dorsal fin, running her thumb along its tender skin as she followed along with the story within her book.

Every now and then, her eyes fluttered over toward the small lake that shared the peak with the Company, the soft pink leaflets glittering in her peripheral vision as they somehow floated along the top of the still waters. Such a sight gave her an itch to swim for a bit, though her own sense of duty prevented her from doing so, a mischievous grin crossing her face as she thought, also, of her own gleeful squeals were she to indulge. Surely, it would wake the others.

Her lithe skin crawled as the sounds of crinkling movement arose behind her, the stroking of her fin casing as she turned to examine the sleeping bodies at her back, finding Link working his way to his feet, rubbing the butt of his palm across his eyes, strolling sleeplessly over toward the quiet flames, earning a nervous blush from Mipha, knowing what was to be said, already.

Sure enough, concealing a yawn, Link muttered as he strode closer, "Shoulda woken me up to take over lookout."

"My apologies," she replied with a furtive smile, "I suppose I just lost track of the time reading."

Link nodded, "Ah, that fairy tale book Zelda mentioned."

He grunted while he stretched, standing by the fire while his arms reached up toward the stars, curling backwards while Mipha watched in amusement. Letting loose a quieted sigh of contentment, Link returned his attention to Mipha while he took a seat by the fire as well.

"I wouldn't have thought we  _had_  that many stories, and that's coming from a knight; all we used to do was tell stories," Link admitted surely, shrugging, "It's good you're enjoying yourself, though."

Mipha smiled, bowing her head, "However many there are, they are quite enjoyable. Your fables often focus on values so foreign to us Zora. Mortality, it seems, features far more prominently. Probably given your life-spans are much shorter. Avarice is another theme that we don't often encounter in our stories. Fate, finding somebody- those, too, might be a result of the fleeting nature of a Hylian's life."

Link grinned, "You make it sounds as though a hundred years is just a moment in time."

"Well…" Mipha averted her eyes, casting her assuring smile toward the ground, "Maybe compared to a Zora it could be. Everything is so…magnified by you Hylians."

"Is that true?"

Mipha nodded, "I mean, by the time you experience puberty, our children are merely popping out from the cleansing waters after spending years as tadpoles, their fins all aflutter as they rush around, as unsure of their bodies as they are the world around them."

Link's head turned toward her as he caught her attempting to smother a giggle, her temporal keel fins at the sides of her head draping low to inadvertantly cover her, though her arm reaching toward her face gave it away, alongside the cautious vibrations running throughout her body.

"My brother," she managed between intermittent gasps of gleeful giggles, "You remember-"

"Sidon," Link nodded.

"Sidon, yes," Mipha confirmed lightly, just managing to control her elation, "He would get so charged up with whatever zeal comes across the heart of a child; then would dash off, only to trip on his dorsal fin, hitting the ground with a hopeful enough spirit that he would simply hurry back to his feet, only noting the mistake long enough to simply carry his fin in his arm."

Such recounting only forced her to giggle some more, her flighty breaths even causing Link to smile mildly himself, thinking back on those days, before his knighthood, where life alongside his mother seemed so much easier. Not only did Mipha evoke such memories, but her very behavior, how light and optimistic she often came across, only reminded Link more of that childish point in time, one so deprived in his adulthood.

"He was a mess, wasn't he?" Link acknowledged, "Does it just come with royal blood to want to solve every little thing that might just be a problem?"

Sighing deeply to regain her breath, Mipha leaned back into her relaxed posture, which seemed rather rigid to anybody not raised as she'd been, shrugging subtly, "It might just be the ones more willing to put their people above themselves that make for better leaders."

"I don't know about that," Link muttered in reply, slowly tilting himself sideways before stretching out his arms, lying there on his side with his head propped up by his forearm, "Wasn't too many kings ago the Kingdom sought to kill off the Zoras that had settled in the wetlands."

Mipha's eyes fluttered toward him, "Depending on how you look at it, he very well could have been putting his people before himself. Ensuring them land to spite his reputation."

A quiet Link lowered his gaze for only a brief moment before turning toward Mipha incredulously, "You, a Zora, are gonna look at it in such a way?"

"No, but it could have been the case, regardless of how I, myself, understand it," Mipha answered with a twinge of light in her voice, "Those were dark times for my people, but- It's folly to ignore what others believe. That's partially why I joined this Company."

She smiled, raising her book up, "This might have been the rest of the reason."

"No kidding," he replied with a shake of the head at how easily she'd accounted for an event far closer to her lifetime than his own.

The Zora chuckled lightly as silence began to seep into the air around them, Mipha's attention gradually returning to her book while Link watched the flames before him, his eyes trailing up along their licking tails before sometimes catching the stars above, so endlessly assembled within the heavens, as preordained as his very existence.

"Damn it," he sighed in sudden exasperation, catching Mipha's face as she turned to watch him curiously, "That bird got my mind all caught up on stories and stuff."

Mipha's lips curled into a grin, "Is that a bad thing?"

"When you've heard 'em all a thousand times," Link explained as troublesome as it was to him, pushing himself back up into a seated position, "Seriously, when you're out on patrol,  _these_   _days_ , how much time can honestly be spent doing much else?"

"Not much, I'd imagine," Mipha answered with a smile, only allowed to do so as Link was looking away.

She so enjoyed seeing him in any sort of reverie, even if it was him being riled up as he was now. He was so emotionless at times, she knew; it meant a great deal to her that he was able to express himself in any such way in only her presence.

"Perhaps I could alleviate your troubles with a story of my own," Mipha offered, bowing her head as she earned Link's stare while clearing her throat, "Once, our people lived within a mountain, right? Thousands of years ago-  _so_  long ago, the world had shifted into such a foreign-looking land compared to this one- Hylia hadn't even allowed herself to become known to the people of Hyrule. So lost were my people at the time, we found a fish far larger than the others, finding it to be seen as a tremendous sign from the heavens above! The Zora people of the time immediately filled that fish with food aplenty, treating him as though he were a messenger of a heavenly deity! So massive, he grew, until he swam up to be fed one day and WHAMO! got stuck on the shallow earth just beside our home at the time!"

The story obviously amusing her, Mipha covered her mouth once again to remain cautious of the others, "It's said they even crafted an alter before him, as they were unable to push him back into the waters! That's just wild, isn't it?! A fish god?!"

Her smile immediately faded as she noticed Link's own laughter, the Hylian having buried his face into the crick of his arm, leading to a distressed exclaimation from Mipha, "H-Hey!"

"Sorry," Link managed with a humored start, "It's just- I mean, it's pretty silly, don't you think?"

Mipha pouted her lips critically, "You're happy that Lord Wabbu-Wabbu isn't here to-"

"Pfft!" Link instantly hid his face once again for the others' sake, earning the ire of Mipha's droll stare, "We might be better off sticking to the ones in your book, at least while the others are sleeping. You wanna read us one?"

At that, Mipha's eyes went wide, her rueful expression immediately warping into one of intense embarrassment as she instantly yanked her head away, "N-N-No! I-I wouldn't w-want to mess it up!"

"Mess up a- You okay?" Link wondered curiously, "I've never seen a Zora's fins shiver like th-"

"H-Hey!" she demanded, "Q-Quit staring!"

Link couldn't help but grin at her rampant nervousness, obeying her demand as he surrendered his attention from her, doing his best to keep his amused chuckling to himself. For her own part, Mipha's nerves certainly were aquiver at such a request, her mind swirling uncertainly as she weighed her next words, certainly now that Link had dropped the issue, and conversation. Her heart tugged for a moment. He had exposed  _himself_ , somewhat; might she need to reciprocate the thought.

Her eyes fluttered sidelong, watching Link adjusting his position before leaning back, clutching the dirt behind him as he stared up into the stars, perhaps thinking of those same old tales he'd been thinking of earlier. His mind was off in another world, Mipha could tell, a whimpering glimmer in her heart pressing her to bring his mind back unto her.

"I-" she stammered weakly, turning Link's eyes back onto her curiously, "I, uh- I can't…read Hylian."

Link's face remained unchanged amidst the ashamed blush that overtook Mipha's own expression, his eyes narrowing knowingly as he replied kindly, "That explains your love of our  _picture_  books, then."

"Yes…" Mipha admitted weakly, "It's not something- For somebody expected to be so regal, or at the very least, an ambassador of sorts, I- it's a bit embarrassing."

Link's face spun, "Wait, so when Revali asked you to read Zelda's map-?"

Mipha felt her stomach churn nervously as she recalled that moment, quickly burying her face in her arms as she answered, "I- I made that name up, yes... Zelda must have thought I was such a fool…"

"No…" Link answered with a soft sort of grin, "She played along all the same, probably to save you the embarrassment, which, on that front, sorry for insisting."

"N-No, you're fine!" Mipha assured hurriedly, breaking her face away from her hands and darting her worried eyes toward the Hylian, as though Link apologizing only for her sake was somewhat offensive, "I- It was bound to come up at some point."

Link shrugged, betraying his smile as he worked his way up to his feet, "Still, I'm sorry. If you'd like, in penance, I'd be happy to teach you."

"Wha- Wha- Wha-," Mipha sounded in the fashion of a repeating record, "N- N- No, I wouldn't dare be such a burden to any-"

"It's no burden," Link shrugged, "I write in my journal almost daily, or at least, I did. It's second nature to me by now. My mother figured I should be literate if I were to become as great a knight as she and my father."

Mipha continued to resist behind a nervous voice, "I- W- I-"

Merely chuckling all the same, Link carefully fell to sit beside her, forcing a furious rushing of blood to course throughout the Zora's body at the thought of being so close to this man. This man whose spirit had captivated her so long ago. This man who, as if fate had willed it, grown as such only after she had begged for him to return to her home as a man taller than she. Before she could catch up to the moment, her mind having grown rather fried, she snapped awake as Link pulled the picture book gently away from her, resting one half along his own leg so that its rested, shared, between the two of them.

"Do you mind if I write in your book? I haven't my journal on me," Link asked sincerely, receiving only a short and quick nod from the Zora.

He grinned at how proper she appeared to be, pulling a pencil from his pocket and drawing a Hylian symbol, Mipha's attention and focus gradually enough catching on, "It's just a syllabary; nothing too complicated, especially since you're already able to speak it. It's just a matter of associating sounds to characters, I suppose."

Writing rather delicately in what might as well have simply been scrawl to Mipha, Link constructed a few symbols and pointed them out attentively, "Z, O, R, A. Zora, see?"

"I- I really don't," Mipha admitted.

Grinning, Link affirmed, "No worries; I won't ask you to write a book or anything. I'll leave something like a list of all the symbols and- Sorry, I know nothing of your Zora script, or I'd translate it for you, but hey, this is how I learned."

"With a burgeoning mind," Mipha curled her lips distastefully, "I'm quite older than you, you know."

"Then you know of determination," Link confirmed with a smirk, "Trust me, you'll get it. You just have to- There."

He brought his finger up as Mipha's eyes narrowed expectantly, his lone finger sliding along the page, "M, I, P, H, A. There's your name in Hylian. And there…is… D, A, R, U, K- Daruk. There's Zelda's, Urbosa's, the bird's. You've got your whole Company on here. Might be a good start."

Link readied his pencil to be returned to his pocket while Mipha's face fell sadly, a silent, lost feeling crossing her lips as she bit at them, nervously, "Uh- What about… your name..?"

"Mine?" Link laughed, "Sorry, my Lady, but I serve Princess Zelda only in the most cursory of instances. I'm not fit for this Company- you've no need for one so set into the life of a knight and nothing more."

Mipha's eyes darted away in aversion, "I mean… I do need practice, don't I?"

Chuckling, Link pulled his pencil to the fore once again, "Alright, if you truly require it. There. L, I, N, K. The only thing binding, linking together two great knights of Hyrule Kingdom."

Mipha watched him sadly as he finished returning his writing utensil to his pocket, his indifferent mood seeming to betray his words. They were so hollow, those words.

"You make your name sound like something so dreary," Mipha acknowledged softly.

Link tilted his head while shrugging, "I mean, I wouldn't call it 'dreary', I just- I was the product of a loveless matrimony. My parents, two people merely occupying the same space, and only occupying that same space between them that allowed my existence. I suppose it's odd to not have those 'family' stories, but- they both loved me. I don't begrudge them for that."

He smiled loosely, almost as if in longing, "The best thing they gave me was my fate. I know my place in this world; that's more than so many others can say."

Mipha dipped her head lowly, her heart filled with dread at this Hylian's words that sounded so empty within his emotionless candor. She turned away in thought, mulling over his words, only sparking her interest once Link began sliding the book away from her leg and fully onto his lap, her head following while he pointed to the script that already lay upon the pages there.

"See, like this story here. 'The Sword of Evil's Bane'," he quoted with a hefty voice that caught a quick smirk upon Mipha's face, "In Hyrule Castle, smack in the middle of the sanctum, there rests a sword that has remained there since as long as anybody can remember. It just lays there atop an altar, waiting for somebody to take it, but- Nobody can. If it doesn't scorch your skin, or if you're of the seedy sort, your insides begin to whirr about restlessly as you approach. I've watched it work with my own eyes."

"They say it was placed there by an ancient hero, who left it there before his passing, to remain until it's reclaimed once again by one so destined," Link continued, his voice taking on an amused air, "I'm no hero. I'm a mere knight. You know how many restless nights I've spent with wonder as to whether that blade's for me? Not a one. But everybody in my old barracks, at one point or another, racked their brains for weeks, only to be disappointed in the end."

He shrugged, "I'm a knight, and always will be. I haven't the luxury of expecting anything more than that."

Mipha's lips curled inward uncertainly before speaking, "But what about hopes? Haven't you any dreams or aspirations?"

"Nothing beyond being the best knight I can be," Link grinning, silently voicing a laugh behind clenched lips, "Which, at this moment, means I want nothing more than to do my best when it comes to protecting my Princess."

Those words sent a jolt through Mipha's body. How close he was to invoking her own visage within his mind with such a word.

"Look, why don't you go on and get your rest," Link nodded dutifully, "I'll fill out that script for you. It'll be there when you wake up, alright?"

Again, such innocent words that sent such illicit thoughts through Mipha's mind, dissipating only as she gave a disheartened, "Okay…"

She rose to her feet, smiling lightly down at the Hylian, who replied with a more stiff version of his own smile, leaving Mipha to speak up, "Thank you for…not laughing. At least not  _at_  me."

Link grinned, "I'd be far too afraid for my life were I to do such a thing."

Mipha presented her own sort of smirk as she lowered her head, her eyes just hidden beneath her frontal cleft, allowing her a stealthy glance toward the man before her. He didn't seem to mind as he prepared for his turn at the campfire's vigil, preparing his posture and grasping for his sword so that it might be handy, Mipha's lips curling with a sincere, heartfelt pang to her chest, this dutiful man doing all he could to keep her safe- well, the entire Company, but… just maybe.

"Goodnight," she muttered quietly, waiting for Link's eyes to meet hers, though they failed to do so amidst his organizing.

Still, he did offer much the same, "Goodnight. Don't let the Wabbu-Wabbu's b-"

"Oh, hush," she challenged with an amused giggle, playfully kicking at Link's side, only for him to recoil dramatically, such a childish demonstration from the man proving to be rather hopeful in Mipha's eyes.

And so she strode away, back toward her blanketed futon. While on the surface, she felt a certain lonesomeness walking along the cold earth at her feet alone, she soon began to recollect how warm Link seemed to be around her, a far cry from his interactions with Revali, at the very least, and quite a sudden change from how he seemed the last she had seen him. He had always seemed personable, and yet- He seemed so much as though there was a disconnect between him and others.

For a fleeting moment, Mipha felt, so wholeheartedly, there had been something there. Even something so imperceptible and crazy that she might have been the only one to feel it.

But it had been there.


	8. Impromptu Stable Fight Club

"Outskirt Stable," Mipha nodded to herself with a whisper, repeating the words that Zelda was speaking as the Zora woman held the map close to her face, studying the Hylian characters that appeared to signify those two words.

"All stables are more than welcoming to all people of Hyrule, if only because merchants know little else when it comes to who brings them rupees," Zelda smiled, turning her head over her shoulder to catch Daruk's expectant face, "They're also pretty famous for their home cooking."

Daruk's rocky expression rode roughly along his face, unimpressed, "You don't say…"

With a further enticing tone, Zelda continued, "And those two traits often coalesce, meaning there's often more than enough porridge to go around."

Turning his head away with a shrug, Daruk frowned indifferently, leaving Link to mutter unceremoniously, "It's not like you to not be interested in food."

"Pshaw!" Daruk scoffed, "I have other interests, you know!"

Urbosa's lips crept up mischeviously, "Name  _one_."

"W-Well…" Daruk nervously offered, suddenly realizing himself being corralled, though as if in triumph, he threw his hand up, "I like grinding up rocks! Stick a pile of stone and I'll have it fine-ground and ready for-!"

He paused, his eyes growing wide in terror as Link snickered his reply, "Isn't that so you can eat it?"

"You know what, I don't have to justify myself even to a sworn brother!" Daruk assured, crossing his arms, "I'll just hang back here."

Zelda turned her head over her shoulder worriedly, "But- Who's justifying anything?"

Daruk remained stoic in his resistance, just avoiding stumbling along as he held his head up, leaving Zelda to direct her worry to Link, who simply shrugged, "I don't know."

"Sorry," Zelda apologized, "I was just trying to get you all excited for the stables… They're the best things about journeying across the lands."

Revali proclaimed excitedly, "I, for one, am thrilled! I'd turned my beak down to them my entire life- I mean, how could such prominence be upon the earth? Had I known about their wily ways, what with their regular clubs of fisticuffs, I'd have attended much sooner!"

Zelda bit her lip, having exaggerated somewhat earlier, though this was known only by Link, who gave her a suspicious glance as she returned, "Y-Yes! I'm certain Outskirt Stable will, uh, be having one of their gauntlets if we're lucky."

"Bwah ha!" Revali shouted happily, "The sight of seeing such inferior beings beating one another into the frigid earth below to assert some unrequited dominance fills me with glee! Haven't they a clue that we Rito demonstrate our dominance over the very sky?!"

Mipha quietly spoke up, "I don't believe they think that far ahead."

Chuckling with his hands atop his hips, Revali proudly asserted further, "Truly, it makes my plumage puff with elation!"

Lowering her head to hide her teeth, gritted with worry, Zelda simply focused on the path to the stable while Urbosa took the initiative to advance the conversation, "I do believe there is a nearby lake, as well. Mipha, are you in need of water? Forgive me for not knowing just how essential it is, or isn't, to your people."

Mipha smiled with a friendly warmth, "It's no problem at all. As far as I know, it's comparable to the sunlight and Hylians. It's not absolutely as essential as breathing, but if they were to long enough without sunlight, there might very well be deficiencies. Different Zoras require it more than others, as well."

Digging her hand into her waist-hanging pouch, Mipha pulled out a small jar of some viscous-looking liquid, "Plus, I can put this on and it helps my scales endure the open air better."

Urbosa graciously accepted the jar to examine it, with Revali catching sight of it with a disgusted tone, "Ew!"

The Gerudo shot him an unamused stare before turning the jar in her hands, "Huh. Certainly looks intriguing."

Nodding proudly as she took back the jar, Mipha smiled, "This gekari gel is extracted only from the finest octorok globules. It's rare for a human to have the experience to craft some themselves."

Revali still in mid-dry heave, he gasped in horror, "An octorok's  _what_?!"

Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, Mipha simply went on, "Well, first our artisans travel to-"

"Even among my people, the Rito would rather share our own oils to preen one another with!" Revali proclaimed, "We would never look to another species to-"

"Oookay," Urbosa interrupted as she pulled a hand across her face with exasperation, "Zelda, how close are we? I'm going to need a break…"

Zelda pointed along the road, "We just crossed Manhala Bridge, so it should be just beyond that ridge down there."

"Truth be told," Urbosa admitted with a nervous smile, "I, too, am interested in these fighting clubs you mentioned."

Her shoulders just visibly trembling, Zelda grumbled mournfully to herself, pressing on as Link slowed, now that their destination was just within reach, allowing himself to fall to Daruk's side, grabbing his arm to tug at his attention. Despite his foul mood, the Goron couldn't help but respond, albeit with a forcible frown, at his sworn brother's grasp.

"…yes?" he replied with an echoing voice, as if he were being forced to speak.

Link shrugged, "You okay? You're just not yourself, right now."

"Pfft, not myself," Daruk replied sarcastically, raising his arms, "I'm always like this!"

The Hylian's brow rose suspiciously, "Like you're not at all hungry? Daruk, I once watched you pound an igneous stone instead of simply moving it out of your way."

"I'm  _fine_ ," Daruk rebutted with an irritated tone, "Let's just get this over with and progress with our journey. I'll be much happier knowing our adventure's progressing rather than stalling."

Link frowned unhappily, still knowing his friend was lost in some emotion unknown to him, though before he could further press the issue, Zelda's voice took over, catching the whole Company's attention, "Alright, this will be our final stop before we begin toward Gerudo Desert. Now's the time to prepare accordingly."

"She is correct," Urbosa nodded, "After this, the next merchant hub is the Kara Kara Bazaar within the desert itself, so get your gekari gel while you can."

"Disgusting!" Revali retorted, having already subconsciously begun to preen his arm feathers, his eyes bolting up angrily to stare at the Gerudo woman.

Urbosa only grinned dismissively, growing to take a liking to the Rito's outbursts of disgust toward the rest of the Company's vile ways.

* * *

"Weeew hewwo!" came the exuberant voice of the stable's proprietor, a scrawny-looking elderly man hunched over with age, skittering across the dirt to greet the Company, "Weww I say, we d'nt awften have such'n ecwectic bunch a' visitorws!"

Zelda smiled politely, bowing as she replied, "Yes, sir. We're just traveling along together as a company, heading toward the desert."

"Ahhh, th' desewrt!" he exclaimed happily, "We gettin' th' many visitorws comin' through dat way!"

He turned a crooked eye toward Link, half-shrugging and waving him along, "We get th' mainy, mainy Hywians lookin' fer the Gewudo skivvies!"

Link's brow immediately curled incredulously as the old man cackled heavily, his delicate frame seeming to barely be keeping him upright, "Bwah haw haw! A funny buwnch! Come, come; put youwr feets up! Welcowme, welcowme!"

Unmoved, still severely confused by the insinuation, Link simply turned to find Zelda also in a daze, though she was quicker to find herself once the man strode back toward the stable, sighing lightly as she began, "Okay, we all know that was weird."

"Weird?" Urbosa spoke up, "How do you think  _I_  feel?"

Grumbling again, Zelda dropped her head into an open palm, "Look, just- We'll rest and gather whatever we need. By the divine right of Hyrulian royalty, money is no object here, so gather whatever you require."

Daruk's shoulders managed to perk up until Zelda clarified, "Emphasis on  _require_."

The Goron returned to his dismissive state.

"And Urbosa, maybe keep away from the desk in there," Zelda groaned.

The Gerudo grabbed hold of her shoulder, rolling her arm in a circular motion, "I can't hit an old man, but any of these younger fools with ideas, I haven't a problem striking them down."

The Company turned to notice the through-traffic that had come to Outskirt Stable. It wasn't packed busy, however, there were quite a bit of buggies and carts, people roaming the countryside in search of deals or exploration, maybe for a place in the world. Zelda's brow turned in sorrow at that final thought, recalling that she'd enjoyed the stables from a child for that very purpose. So trapped was she in her studies- how often had she wished to find her own place in this world.

She bolted to attention as she noticed Urbosa heading off with Mipha, the Gerudo leading the two of them toward the cliffside lake that rested to the northeast, with Urbosa explaining, "You must show me how this gel works. Does it work on skin? Y'know, I'm constantly in the sun, and some of my ladies, they're deathly afraid of blemishes. Not me, of course."

Mipha shrugged, her voice too soft to be heard as they pressed on, leaving Revali to scamper of next, covering his chin with a curious hand as he scouted out for a gang of Hylians prepared to throw down. Zelda sighed, turning toward Link and Daruk with a weak shrug.

"Well, it's just us now, I suppose. Would you care to peruse whatever wares we can come across?"

She turned, knowing Link would follow regardless, though upon leaving the entrance to the stable, she failed to notice Daruk simply remaining still, remaining silent as the two strode away. He watched them carefully, his brow still turned in forceful resignation, though as his glare turned, examining the stable as a whole, his brow turned in worrisome apprehension, as if he desperately wanted to be anywhere else.

* * *

Daruk had taken to sitting there on the edge of the stable, his eyes glued to whomever in his Company entered into view for as long as they remained within sight until they made their way back behind, or within, the stable. Arms still crossed, he noticed Link come into view, his face turning in curiosity as he hadn't Zelda at his side, though he quickly returned to his air of indifference once Link began to approach, the Goron turning away dismissively.

Link, with two bowl of porridge in his hand, made his way up to the Goron, his own face remaining tenacious as he balanced the soup, eventually coming to Daruk's side before sitting next to him, offering up the second bowl.

"It's good," Link goaded, though Daruk had none of it.

The Goron shrugged, "I'm busy."

"Busy with what?" Link challenged with a sigh, sitting the extra bowl down so that he could eat, himself, "Y'know, I hate seeing you like this. Your jubilation usually serves those around you quite well. I mean, except Revali, but that bird wouldn't know a good attitude if one bit him on the ass."

"Where's the Princess?" Daruk wondered immediately.

Link lifted his shoulders as he replied, "Urbosa'n Mipha are with her. I asked them to bring you something, but she assured me that I'd have a better shot breaking your tumultuous streak."

A clue, Link noted as he took a steaming bite of porridge. Daruk was sitting over here concerned about Zelda, and perhaps, the rest of them? What was he worrying about? and more than that- what had  _this_  man to worry about at all? Still, Link didn't want to push him, Daruk remaining one of the few people he legitimately enjoyed being around within the Company, so he remained quiet as he ate.

His eyes raised as he watched the ongoing traffic along the through road, Link finished chewing before speaking up, "A portion of my job as a knight is to come across these adventurer's stables and check in on them or keep watch if there are concerns among the workers. Apparently, back when the races didn't get along, these outskirts of Hyrule Kingdom remained vacant, so it was less troublesome for us. In a sense, I'm happy to see Hylians feeling free to explore the world, but- it certainly can be troublesome with the added workload. Just goes to show, prosperity has it's own challenges."

Daruk's brow flinched as he turned a stare down toward Link, "What are you trying to say?"

Link shrugged, lowering his face back toward his bowl for another bite, "Nothing. I'm just saying, if you're worried about the vagrants and travelers- it's as safe at these stables as it is in back in the Castle. You needn't worry."

His body tensing, Daruk asked, "You think I'm  _worried_ , is that it?"

Link turned his head indifferently, "No, but- You just seemed apprehensive is all. I think it would be unwise to assume that, given your size, you, or any Goron, would be devoid of worry."

Daruk's eyes turned, his expression gently beginning to turn at his sworn brother's words, recalling how much he genuinely respected how understanding this Hylian was. He remembered most of his contact with Hylians, especially at the beginning of the period of time Link had referenced- when Hylians first began expanding outward during this current era of goodwill amongst the people of Hyrule. Only three generations of royalty ago, Zelda's great grandfather had ruled with an iron fist, believing that the moniker, 'Kingdom of Hyrule', was a sign of divine right- that the kingdom was named for the world as a whole because Hylians were to conquer it all.

At the turn of the age, Hylians were left with both freedom to roam, as well as a generation's amount of superstition and intrigue in the Gorons- the gigantic rock-men that were as monstrous as they were powerful, leading to wayward Hylians charging up toward Death Mountain to take on and kill a Goron, with as much prestige as such a thing would bring. Stories of damsels being kidnapped by the rock-men were abundant, and while a Goron hadn't ever killed a Hylian, there was the occasional 'rolling' of such a belligerent Goron-hunter down the hill.

Recognizing how troublesome the post-war situation was, the Goron elders decided to retaliate, not with violence, but exposure, sending out merchants, ambassadors, hoping to alter the general perception of them across the entire land, not just Hyrule Kingdom. Soon enough, the desire to scurry off to kill a Goron, the fiercest of all warriors, began to wane, quite readily, once it was known they were not only fierce warriors, but rather friendly and gracious.

Archaic emotions remained, however, which Daruk thought about as Link finished his porridge, the scratching of his spoon along the course bowl bringing the Goron back from his reverie. At the time he'd met Link, he recalled how taken he was by the unafraid Hylian who didn't take his people at appearances. His elation only built higher when Link proved, not only for mere sport, that he could rumble with the best Gorons, but could even win against the younger ones. The Hylian had skin of iron and a will of brimstone, Daruk recalled, shattering his own opinion of Hylians.

Daruk's back crawled as his eyes bolted toward the stable at the uncomfortable feeling of being stared at, meeting the glares of a handful of Hylians who looked an unsightly bunch. He turned to Link, who seemed oblivious, returning to the gang of Hylians beginning to approach them. Uncertainly, Daruk's expression turned to one of concern as he shook Link's shoulder, much to the knight's surprise.

"Uh, Link, do we, uh-" Daruk stammered, his demeanor forcing Link to turn ahead to discover the source if his sudden apprehension.

"What, those idiots?" Link muttered, "There's only four of them. If they're gonna cause trouble we can take 'em down."

Daruk's brow raised in worry, "But- But Link, I-"

The gang crossed the road, leaving Daruk to hide his fright as best he could while the leader of the pack sniffled a gross loogie back into his nose, running a wrist across his face as he sized the Goron up, "One ugly lookin' rock ya got here."

Link shrugged, "You've got a pretty ugly rock face yourself. Must go with the rocks in your skull."

"Tch," the creep snickered, taking a moment to revel in the chorus of chuckles surrounding him, "Ya got nerve fer someone hangin' with a pet rock. C'mon."

Daruk's eyes went wide as the man squared up, as if taking on a fighting stance, hopping in place, "C'mon now! I'm th' strongest Hylian in the world! I'll knock ya face in!"

Taking his turn to chuckle, Link watched the man raising his dukes toward Daruk, noticing the tinge of alcohol in the air from his breath, "Your pebble of a brain is cashing in what your body can't withdraw, I hope you know."

"Hey, shut the fuck up!" the man cried, his cronies now with their eyes set on Link, "I've torn up windows with rocks bigger than this thing! C'mon! You too scared?"

Link worked his way to his feet, sighing, "Dude, look, we're just-"

Daruk gasped in terror as one of the thugs slammed a blimd-siding punch into Link's face, sending him to the ground as the others followed, pinning him down to allow the head honcho the freedom to battle Daruk on his own, leaving Link to struggle with a fierce voice, "GHH! Daruk! Beat their heads in!"

The Goron remained still, frozen in terror as the thug grew impatient, "Fackin' deadweight! Come on!"

Daruk worked his way onto shaky feet, "I- I dint want to hurt you, just-!"

"Pfft! Hurt me?" the dude cackled, "I've passed stones bigger than you! Now just-!"

He threw a massive punch right into Daruk's stomach, a mmessily gruesome  ** _CRUNCH_**  tearing through the air as the confrontational atmosphere deteriorated in an instant. The thugs atop Link watched their leader in abject horror as he pulled his hand away from Daruk, his knuckles having burst, leaving his fingers a mangled mess, all while Daruk had turned his head away in fright, still shaking in terror.

"G- Gh-…" the thug muttered warily, finally releasing in an outburst, "GAAAAAAAH!"

He wrangled his hand and pulled in against his chest to ease it with compression as Link took his chance, making a well-placed kick into one of his assailant's faces, the lot of them frozen by their leader's bloodcurdling scream. The other two confused, Link quickly punched one before slamming a knee into the third, forcing himself to his feet as the gang began skittering away, each nursing a painful portion of their bodies as Link kicked the dirt at his feet, angrily spewing at them.

"Yeah, now you run! Fuckers," he snarled venomously before lowering his head with a sigh, reaching a gently hand to his face to prod at the painful spot around his eye, "It was dirty as shit, but it was a good punch nonetheless. Ow. Hopefully Revali got his kicks."

Daruk shivered, his voice stammering in kind, "L- Link, I'm so sorry, I-! I just-!"

"Link!" Zelda cried out, she, Urbosa, and Mipha charging up toward the two of them, skidding to a stop before them, "We heard a yell! What happened?!"

Link grumbled, shaking his head, "Nothing two sworn brothers can't handle. Some jerks decided to pick a fight."

Without a word, Mipha had quickly made her way past the other two women, her face contorted in unease at the bruise atop Link's face. She raised a hand, its scales beginning to glow with a yellow light that almost seemed to weep droplets of golden light to the ground as she reached up, gently pressing her open palm atop Link's eye. Familiar with such a thing, Link didn't bother showing any resistance, even as Zelda and Urbosa looked on in curiosity.

"Thanks, my lady," Link offered, forcing a grin to form on Mipha's face.

She hid a giggle, "Reminds me of when you got into sparing matches as a child in our halls."

"At least I've never come across a dishonorable Zora. Freak took a swing out of nowhere," Link complained, gesturing toward Daruk, "He's the real hero. Took a swing that did more damage to the guy than him."

Mipha turned warily toward Daruk mid-healing compress, "Do you require healing as well?!"

As though taken off guard by such a question, Daruk quickly shook his head, "N- No, I'm fine."

Mipha smiled, "Might be for the best. I wouldn't know where to start "

"I believe the best remedy for a Goron," Zelda began in earnest, "Is just to massage some coarse earth on the wound until it solidifies back into place."

Urbosa's lips spun in distaste, "Maybe that old dude was just wanting to perform medicine on me."

Zelda eyed her at the poorly constructed joke, leaving Mipha to finish up her healing with a soft voice, "Your bruise should leave with ease, but your skin will remained blemished until it naturally progresses. There should be know pain, though."

Unable to nod with the cold skin of her hand still pressed into his face, Link simply replied, "You have my sincerest thanks, Lady Mipha."

The Zora smiled with mild elation at being of use, wholly noticing of her lingering touch, too enraptured by the warmth being taken in my her skin along Link's face, only coming to the realization as Link's open eye slowly turned toward her hand, forcing her to recoil in shame.

"S-! S-! Sorry!" she cried, holding her hand against her chest.

Link only smiled lightly, "It's fine. I don't feel any pain; after that, you could do anything to me and I wouldn't have grounds to complain."

At such words, Mipha was quite happy that she was unable to blush.

Zelda sighed, "Alright you two, we're going to finish up and head out within the hour, so you two be prepared as well. Urbosa, did you get those frog eyes we purchased? I don't want to be getting swindled…"

Her mentor grinned, knowing Zelda to be self-conscious of most of her interactions out in the world, directing her back toward the stable, "Dear, even if they're still back there, it's not as though we forfeit the purchase simply by walking away for a moment."

"I- knew that…" Zelda muttered quietly to save face.

Mipha followed as well, her head held low as her mind remained awash with possibilities after Link's words had overpowered any sort of rationality she might have possessed. This left Link and Daruk alone, the Hylian taking stock of their situation and grumbling under his breath upon noticing Daruk's overturned cup of porridge.

"Aw, man," Link frowned, "Sorry about that."

Daruk launched his head to the side, staring at Link incredulously, " _You're_  sorry?! Link, I couldn't be more sorrowful of my inaction! I'm so sorry, brother! I- I just-…"

Link shrugged, revealing a boyish smile, "No harm done. Literally. I know you've got stuff going on, so- I mean, we're sworn brothers, right? I've got your back, regardless. If I'd died, that might have been a different story, but short of that."

"Gah!" Daruk cried out in anguish, "I dare not wish to imagine such a fate! Link, I- I'm so sorry."

The Goron dropped his head as he fell backward, sitting there with a downtrodden expression, earning both Link's interest and his repentance, as he began with a grumbling tone, "I was just…scared, I guess. I- You know I'm a Goron champion, but such things come as a result of me crashing into other Gorons, people who wouldn't crack no matter how hard I tried. When I see a Hylian, or- any smaller being, really, I- I don't know. I get so terrified that I may end up accidentally doing something I might regret. something I cannot turn back from…"

"Foothill Stable, just beneath Death Mountain- it often had plenty of Hylians looking to pick fights, so when I see a place like this, I just- You're different- I can wrestle you and not have a care 'cause I know you'll persevere, but-" Daruk mournfully recounted, "The worst are creatures that seem to actively seek out my tremendously lethal grip or grasp. I see a barking dog running up to me, unafraid- those are the absolute worst…"

Link smirked, "I think they're just trying to say hello."

"I know! and that's the worst!" Daruk mused dramatically, throwing his open hands against either side of his head, "Haven't they a single clue that such a thing might be death if I'm not careful enough?!"

Lowering his head to hide a sincere smile, Link easily replied, "Look, I don't think you have anything to worry about. You wouldn't hurt anything. Remember that butterfly that landed upon your arm as we descended Satori? That's a creature as well, right?"

Daruk managed a smile, thinking of the multi-colored animal that had spent a few moments atop his rocky skin, "Y-Yeah, I suppose so. I guess it just goes back to when we Gorons were all so solitary, I mean- I spent a many great centuries not having encountered another people outside of lava lizards."

"Well, now might be the time to do so," Link smiled, "You've tremendous power in your arms. Half of having that much power is knowing how to  _not_  use it at times, you know. You might not have needed to practice that up in Death Mountain, which is more like a Goron playground than anything-"

Daruk chuckled at the thought.

"-but as long as we're out doing all this- You know I have my reservations, but I've been thinking. Even if this entire quest is nothing more than a crock of whatever- If we all can improve ourselves, I suppose even if it ends with nothing, it'll still have been worth the time."

The Goron smiled at the thought, "I suppose for one so skeptical as you, that might be a good way of looking at it. What about you? What have you to improve upon during this journey?"

"Me?" Link asked with a wry grin, "I can wrestle a Goron to the ground  _and_  snuggle with a dog- I'm already golden."

Daruk let loose a boisterous, rousing laugh that seemed to shake the earth beneath the two of them, clutching his chest as his hearty laughs overtook his breaths. For Link's part, he lowered his head with a softening smile, wondering about Daruk's question more deeply than he'd originally given it credence. Mipha was learning to read Hylian, Daruk might be learning to better manage both his fear and power- Revali had  _better_  learn some manners. But what about himself?

He kicked the dirt at his feet as he wondered silently, Daruk working his way back to his feet as he shook his head, "The time for sorrow has ended, brother. What's say we get some porridge before leaving? I do believe Zelda mentioned taking all that we could?"

"Uh, that might have been an exaggeration, but-" Link cautiously assured, the two men jumping as the sudden, shrill voice of Revali pierced the air like one of his arrows.

"I MISSED IT?!" they heard him cry out in abject horror.

Link shrugged, "Well, Zelda was also exaggerating about those fighting clubs, but I suppose for Revali's purposes, it came true. Maybe the same'll be true with the porridge."

Daruk slammed a fist against his chest in triumph, "Then let us imbibe while we can, brother! If we cannot, we will find a way to make it so!"

It was a sentiment that stuck with Link for a while after.


	9. Rumble in the Canyon

"We're getting there!" Revali shouted from the top of the canyon that snaked it's way toward Gerudo Desert, hopping off the craggy peak before gliding his way back down toward the group.

Urbosa sighed, "I told you… These canyons have been as much my home as the desert since I was a child."

Her lips turning unsafely, Zelda replied, "I think he just wanted to spread his wings."

"Or show off," Link presumed critically.

Zelda sighed, "I don't think you should, or need to, reduce everything he does to a proud streak."

As soon as she finished, Revali hit the ground, sliding to a stop before immediately poofing out his mantle in triumph, declaring, "How easy and quick this journey would be if it were only me, not bound to the ghastly earth as you all are!"

Link gave Zelda a droll glance, forcing her to turn away in defeat, shaking her head, "Thanks, Revali. Let's just get on through this pass and make it to the desert."

"Sooner we get there," Link concluded, "The sooner we get done, the sooner we can leave."

Urbosa eyed him crookedly, "I'll have you know, despite the sun and the heat, our hospitality is top notch, even when it comes to men. You may not be able to step foot in Gerudo Town, but the amenities within Kara Kara Bazaar are highly rated by all the tourist rankings."

She grinned, "If anything, this will give you and Revali a chance to bond over something."

"Excuse me?" "What?" came the simultaneous replies from both men.

Urbosa chuckled, raising her arms, "Well Daruk here hasn't the same prying eyes as you two; Gorons are more than welcome within our town. You two will be the odd ones out."

Revali clicked his teeth, "To think I would be interested in such lowly traits. That the sun burns your skin and has it tanned- such a revolting phenomenon! Why did the goddess not mold your people perfectly upon your conception?"

"Well, for a good few millennium, we  _were_ ," Urbosa grinned, "It was our single males, our Hilarser, every thousand years, that oversaw these entire lands during its earliest history. Until evil coupled itself to the very thing that was this world's salvation for many centuries, the triforce of power built these mountains, dug these streams. For while tremendous power can certainly destroy, it can just as tremendously create."

She mused, "For so long, no other race was capable of such power, so the triforce simply remained amongst our Hilarser until it began treading among the other races of Hyrule every now and then. But it never stayed away for long."

"I often liked to have thought I might have possessed it," Urbosa admitted in an uncharacteristically vulnerable moment, though it was cut short by Revali's scoffing.

"Pfft, these are nothing but stories told among the Gerudo- of course your people would cast themselves the heroes," Revali concluded with a biting tone, "We do the same- well, save for the fact we neglect to include fairy tales like triforces."

Urbosa smirked, "Fairy tales…"

"Yes," Revali nodded condescendingly, "Fairy tales. Nothing more than little stories told to comfort children at night, or to frighten them, if you're also going to mention that Ganondorf character."

Not wanting to further mince words, Urbosa simply lowered her head, hiding a grin as her mind remained steadfast in her convictions. Revali, for his part, ceased as well, muttering something under his breath before returning to silence, allowing the conversation to move elsewhere.

"W-Well, uh," Zelda began, "Fairy tale or not, it makes for interesting stories, definitely. I loved reading mythology and tales of old growing up- I'm familiar with most of the Gerudo ones, and some of the Zora ones as well. The Gorons, uh-"

Daruk chuckled, slamming a fist into his chest, "We etch our heroes into the rock of the mountain, carved forever in the earth's bitter language that surpasses mere generations!"

"We do the same in the knights," Link nodded, "Well, I don't, but a lot of our armor passes from generation to generation, so knights will carve out messages or stories to accompany the armor forever."

"Well, I am familiar with the ones that made their way into books," Zelda sighed, "That one about Nabooru, whom Vah Naboris was named, was one of my favorites."

"Ah, the answer of a true Gerudo!" Urbosa replied happily, "It's not so easy for a single name to outlive eons, yet the great Nabooru's does. She gave her life to ensure the whole of our race could continue, when the Hilarser at the time chose to give up his single dictate. Instead of continuing the race, he chose to use his power for his own means, leading the Gerudo toward extinction, or at the very least, the genetic equivalent of such. Nabooru would have none of it, however, choosing to sabotage the Hilarser's plans, forcing him to remain where he could prevent our people from dying out."

Zelda nodded, "The greater good over the individual. Quite an important lesson for anybody so gifted to have royal blood."

"Indeed," Urbosa agreed, her eyes narrowing alongside her softening tone, "It's a lesson near and dear to myself."

Suddenly pepping up, she nodded, hoping to rally the others, "In any case, more important than stories and histories, we have a Divine Beast to examine and understand."

Mipha turned toward Zelda, "Do we have a plan once we enter the desert?"

"We do!" Zelda explained excitedly, "First, we need to retrieve Urbosa's thunder helm, which will prevent us from being incinerated by the Beast's lightning."

Mipha's eyes began to sink at the thought of such a thing, though it was Revali who took to his tongue to voice his exasperation, "Pardon me, but what in the goddess' name are we up against?!"

"No worries," Urbosa smiled, "So long as you remain at my side, no harm will come to you. I wouldn't have planned to have a Zora along, especially, were I not entirely confident in that fact."

Mipha wiped the sweat that had formed along her brow, content with taking the Gerudo's word for it at this point, though Revali only distastefully grumbled to himself, far more unsure of the events to come. Zelda reclaimed the lead, hoping to reassure the Company.

"Obviously, men are not allowed into Gerudo Town, so Link and Revali will have to wait at the Bazaar while we carry on," Zelda went on, looking toward Link, "Certainly you can trust my protection to these three, correct?"

Link shrugged, "I suppose so."

Daruk playfully punched at Link's arm, catching his attention as he boisterously asserted, "Despite any of my misgivings, I can assure you, I wouldn't let my nerves come between me and her safety."

Biting his lip, Link corrected, "Actually, I'm more happy to send Zelda off in Urbosa's hands, but…"

Daruk's shoulder slumped defeatedly, forcing a mounful smile along Link's face while Zelda continued, "Actually, the Bazaar does have an oasis, should Mipha be more comfortable remaining behind as well."

Her head perking up, Mipha replied, "Uh, I mean, I suppose. I might need to see how my scales react to the desert, first. I would hate to abandon you."

"Trust me," Link murmured weakly, "Were it not for the ultimate goal of bringing our races together, and for diverse conversation, Zelda would have only needed Urbosa for this journey."

The Gerudo happily threw an arm around Link's neck, pulling him against her side with a "GAH!" as she rapidly shook her fisted hand across his scalp, "Daw, what a charmer you are!"

Link managed to push himself out from her grasp, frowning angrily as he massaged his head, "I'm charming nobody! It's mere respect; I know who powerful people are, and I do my best to maintain their respect while extending my own."

"Pshaw, then why have you not extended the same courtesy to me?" Revali exclaimed curiously, "Can you not see that I'm the brightest among this Company?"

Link shivered at the thought, "I have more respect for Daruk's boots. Perhaps if we were devoid of all light, you'd be the brightest."

The Rito frowned, already expecting such a reply, leaving him with a measly, "Luckily, I can at least admire the others in their understanding of this fact. I needn't even ask for confirmation- I already know their answers. That's the confidence of Witwa, that all Rito aspire to attain!"

Running his head along his shoulders in exasperation, Revali muttered aloud, "Such a pity, truly."

Link rolled his eyes, the sweltering heat swirling through the parched canyon already beginning to force him into lethargy, "I'm not even bothering anymore."

He visibly strode away from Revali, keeping his distance while the others resorted to uncomfortable silence, all of them both equally tired of Revali's attitude, but also disapproving of Link's oft-reactive ways. They had all silently decided to simply change the subject on these occasions, besides Urbosa perhaps, who might have preferred something of a kerfuffle to take place.

"So, uh," Mipha spoke up, unsure of the atmosphere surrounding her, "Vah Ruto is quite difficult to approach, much less enter. From what I know about Naboris…"

Urbosa nodded, "Ah, I get it. To be honest, I haven't exactly thought that through. I suppose, given our quest's purpose to understand, and ultimately pilot these Beasts, now would be as good of a time to figure it out."

"This is all rather exciting!" Daruk exclaimed, rubbing his hands together, "Our journey is seriously beginning!"

Zelda grinned at his elation, "Vah Naboris is camel-shaped, with four massively tall legs. We've considered waiting for it to pass by one of the surrounding mountains and hopping atop it."

"-but, it's track is wholly random and impossible to predict," Urbosa frowned, clutching her chin in thought, "That method could take years. We also thought of constructing something of a mobile ladder, but again, resources and time."

"Not to mention technology," Link reminded cooly.

"That, too," Zelda groaned.

Revali, who'd been withholding his voice with great difficulty up until this point, finally broke his silence, "I just-! Gah! The answer sits right in front of your faces!"

"We've already mentioned scaling the mountains and hopping on," Link replied sarcastically.

"You pitiful little-… You have at your access a master of the skies! A man a cut above all the rest! I'll just zip up there, unhindered by any subservience to the ground, or gravity itself, and take hold of that Beast like I would any creature of the wild!" Revali proclaimed with a boisterous tone layered over his frustration.

Urbosa frowned, "As we mentioned, Vah Naboris exudes an infinite electrical storm; one that only the thunder helm can quell."

"So? Just have  _me_  wear it!" Revali answered as though it were the simplest answer.

"Are you insane?!" Urbosa retorted heatedly, "That helm has touched nothing but pure Gerudo blood since it was first cast-forged in the endless pits of Mount Agaat!"

With a pithy voice, Revali sneered, "T'would be atop one  _truly_  worthy were it given to me to-"

Urbosa made a mad dash toward the Rito, just barely caught by Daruk and Link, both of whom had to unleash all of their might to not even stop the Gerudo woman, Urbosa still managing the faintest of steps against their defiance. She growled angrily at Revali, who replied only with sincere shock that his words had been taken as they had been.

"I cannot  _believe_  such a plan- the  _easiest_  one- is causing such a hubbub!" he shouted aloud in disbelief.

Urbosa shouted, "You take that back!"

"Pardon?" Revali retorted, "I speak only the truth! I don't understand-!"

"Revali!" Zelda finally shouted, catching his attention, "I don't care if you don't understand! Apologize, now!"

The Rito stared at the princess with a furtive gaze, jerking his head back dismissively with a frustrated sneer before weakly conceding, "Fine. My apologies."

"And you better fuckin'  _mean_  it!" Urbosa challenged, her push finally beginning to loosen against the grips of a Goron and a knight, "Disparage my blood once more and I'll make sure your  _ashes_  never leave the sky."

"Urbosa!" Zelda shouted, attempting desperately to diffuse the situation.

Revali gave a swift cackling, as though it were some Rito call meant to be disparaging, before returning, "Big talk for one of those women whose bodies are destined only for the beds of mongrels."

Urbosa lunged forward, breaking through Daruk's and Link's hold, just nearly clutching Revali with as tight of a grip as she could muster, the Rito darting up into the air, leaving only a single feather trailing toward the ground as his wings fluttered powerfully upward. Urbosa let loose a primal growl as she grit her teeth, staring up at the shadowed figure in the sky.

"URBOSA! REVALI!" Zelda shouted as powerfully as she could despite the conflict, though her words were unheeded by the two as Revali simply remained aloft.

His head shook between his flapping wings, "I must say, you're absolutely  _terrifying_  when faced with the truth."

The Gerudo woman sneered up toward the haughty Rito, quickly directing her attention to the sandy wall that half-enclosed the Company, Link's eyes widening in realization as he shouted out, "Urbosa! DON'T-!"

Before he could leap toward her, Urbosa threw a fist directly into the wall, the sandstone chasm surrounding them immediately beginning to tremble beneath her might, as though an earthquake were reverberating across the canyon. Rito watched with confusion, only until the unmistakable sound of cracking, shattering rock blew past his ear, sending his eyes skyward to find a collection of stones descending right atop of him.

The copius amount of stone debris failed to discriminate, Urbosa's blast putting the Company in danger as well, though Daruk was quick to snatch up both Mipha and Zelda in his arms before dashing along through the canyon in a rush, Link right behind.

"Come on, now; come on!" the Goron rushed with a shaky voice as though trying to remain calm, "No danger, no danger!"

The cacophony of boulders came rumbling down, only to begin to die off as quickly as they'd come, leaving the others to worriedly return their attention to where Revali had been. To their surprise, as the thin layer of dust began to settle, they found Urbosa standing there, hand raised into the sky with Revali's chest feathers in her opposite hand, having grappled him as he descended to escape, and protected him from the collapsing shrapnel.

Despite that, Revali remained belligerent, even while in the hands of the woman who'd attempted to strangle him a moment earlier, his voice remaining stagnant in his resilience, "You-"

Urbosa frowned, "These are  _my_  lands, and you  _will_  show them respect. Understood?"

The Rito's face remained defiant, failing to answer long enough to earn another shout.

"Understood?!"

Revali's eyes fell backward in droll exasperation, sighing lightly before acquiescing, "Understood."

"Good," Urbosa finished, dropping Revali back to his feet, " _I'm_  a well-adjusted individual, so you can expect the same from me beneath the peaks of Hebra."

Revali scoffed, "We'll see."

Clapping her hands together to pat away the dirt that had collected there, Urbosa approached the Company, most of them lost in shock as she strode along without a care.

"Come now; we have quite a ways to go before nightfall. Next stop, Kara Kara Bazaar," Urbosa reminded with a nod.

"R-Right," Zelda noted quietly, her heart still quite a bit a way from settling down as the cloud of dust had, "Everybody?"

With Revali bringing up the rear of the pack, the Company moved on in uneasy advance, though with a breath of relief that it had ended as almost nonchalantly as it had. If nothing else, it served as a reminded not to cross Urbosa's path at any point within the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friendly reminder to any Revali fans- everybody has a character arc, even him; just be patient xD


	10. The Gerudo's Aching Destiny

Nightfall in the desert made for a much milder climate, the twinkling stars above bringing cooler air, though not too frigid, making the nights far more peaceful than the day. Most creatures alike that called Gerudo Desert home often took the night to signal rest or at least a time to reflect, almost an air of tranquility swirling along the desert sands once the moon appeared.

The Company had decided to set up camp for the night just as they exited the canyon, deciding to take to the sands at the first break of dawn, arriving at the Bazaar before the sun's apex, a few of them more than happy to finally be able to make use of their blankets, which until now had merely been an encumbrance, to curl up and take to sleep quite readily after the day prior. While that full accruement of exhaustion added to the lethargy that came with the desert heat, it didn't seem to affect Zelda, who was unable to sleep, simply laying there wrapped in her blanket, staring up at the stars above, having even resorted to counting them aimlessly in an attempt to discover sleep.

Displeased with her failing attempts at rest, she turned onto her side, gingerly yanking her blanket up over her shoulder to protect against the breeze, a single outstretched finger brushing along the ground in front of her, her eyes following listlessly, drawing random shapes in the sandy rock face beneath her. Uncomfortably so, she slid her arm up to better rest her head, grumbling silently to herself, her eyes turning to find Revali and Daruk asleep, such a thing coming so much easier for them. Certainly she should have brought a pillow, herself.

Zelda sighed, the bitterness trailing along her warm breath as it sent the most minuscule amount of dust flowing into the air before dying down just as swiftly. Her ears suddenly perked at a gravelly sort of skidding sound, like dragging atop asphalt, just raising her head above her blanket to peek over her shoulder, not wanting to give her accidental eavesdropping away. To her confusion, everybody was where they had originally lay when they'd settled down for the night just off the road, Zelda's eyes peering with a strain through the darkness surrounding her, the moon hidden behind one side of the canyon's mighty sheer walls.

Slowly, and carefully, she pushed herself up, only barely at first, her suspicions getting the best of her, her brow turning curiously as she noticed Urbosa's place had become vacant in the night. She took a sharp breath, only for expecting the worst, before another sound took her by surprise, this one of the unfamiliar sort. Her ears strained to catch it once again, something like uneven breathing, shaking itself into higher volume. Zelda's lips curled sadly, slowly kicking her blanket away and pushing herself to her feet, looking around with uneven glances before steadily pacing herself toward the edge of the desert, carefully enough not to stray too far from the camp.

Just beyond the canyon, a craggy outcropping of rock lead up toward a small overhang clutching the wall of the canyon that faced the desert. Atop a small, unsteady-looking pathway, Zelda saw Urbosa, sitting there with her knees brought up to her chest, her arms clutching her knees with her eyes peering off into the distance with a scornful, yet primally melancholy, stare.

Zelda's brow curled at the sight. For a woman as brusque as she, her tears, trailing down her face, twinkling in the night sky like jewels, made her seem a celestial kind of beauty even behind her stony face, devoid of any form of vanity beyond what her strength offered her in the way of respect. Her tan skin took on a darkly demure sight beneath the starlight, but behind that outward beauty which seemed only to present itself here in this desert, Urbosa's eyes revealed a sincerely pining for something to take away the emotions coursing through her.

It only took Zelda one step further for Urbosa's head to immediately bury itself into her knees, hiding away her tears, though it visibly shook from side to side in rejection, "You know, you were never supposed to see me like this."

Sadly, Zelda bowed her head respectfully while her arm raised to allow her hand to stroke the opposing limb with a nervous gait, "I- Sorry. It's not like I'm going to ruin your cred or anything, for what it's worth."

Urbosa's shoulders trembled with a subtle laugh, raising her head to reveal two streaks of starlight running down her face as she eyed the Princess, "I'm more worried about your own perception of me than anybody else's."

"I mean-" Zelda began, pausing as she unsurely took stock of her next set of words, "I'm the first person to know that tears don't say much about a person."

The Gerudo woman gave a weak smile before sending her gaze back over the desert sands, "You're your mother's child, alright."

Silence enraptured the two, allowing Zelda to watch her feet as they carried her up the narrow slope, hoping to reach the minor incline that separated the two of them, catching herself with a hand as she slipped on a footing of loose gravel. Save for that instant, she easily made her way to the small bit of rock jammed into the mountain wall, sitting beside the Gerudo woman with a similar stance, trying to protect herself from the biting cold as she watched those same sands, as though trying to translate what this night-washed land was speaking to this woman she so respected and loved.

"He's right, you know," Urbosa muttered quietly, earning her a confused glance from Zelda, forcing her to elaborate, "Revali. He can be an ass about it, but- He often speaks the truth."

Zelda's heart tugged, "Urbosa, don't-"

"I knew it was, but-" Urbosa gave a weak grin, "Well, I suppose we all try to disguise the truth with our own lies from time to time."

Disheartened both by this powerful woman's sudden vulnerability, as well as her callous words, Zelda lowered her head sadly as Urbosa went on with a fragile tone, "Y'know, I respect Nabooru a great deal. When I first became Chieftain, oh man, I couldn't stop trying to emulate her. So much of her persona, in reality, has been lost to time, but- All those legends that had formed; how she stole the gloves that could strangle Evil itself, how she treaded the rivers of quicksand with such a skillful prance that the fountains of the earth below burst in frustration."

She smiled, perhaps imagining herself as a child, "I spent so many hours forcing my body to take on the powerful form you see now. I leapt from mesa to mesa, slamming into the ground countless times until I could make the chasmous jumps. I thought I could be just like her, an idol. that I may go down in Gerudo history as she's done, a pillar of our people."

Urbosa paused, her face gradually darkening into something resembling heartbreak, earning her an equally tumultuous look from Zelda, who reached out to rest her hand atop her shoulder, "You've done plenty to outlive time itself. Believe me, wholeheartedly, if it's only me, I will make sure your deeds live on, unto this generation's children, and their children, and-"

Her voice suddenly trembled to a pause, realizing what Urbosa had been getting on. Without reproach, Urbosa managed a weak grin to go alongside a quick, muted chuckle, lowering her eyes in reflection.

"We haven't had a Hilarser in many years," Urbosa explained quietly, a tugging entering her voice as she pressed on, "So long as that spirit of evil looms over Hyrule-"

She fought to keep her lips turned upward. She battled the tears that awoke with shaking eyes, with gritting teeth. She willed herself, as desperately as one could, to yank back these emotions that had so swelled in her heart, unable to retain a soft, whimpering cry as tears rolled down her face once again, her body falling to the side as Zelda quickly took to her knees to reach over and hug the woman around the neck, pulling her head against her in shared misery, battling her own tears, knowing Urbosa allotted no tears for herself, and would have hated others offering her any of their own.

"I think about it- Night and day," Urbosa managed through trembling, quietly wailing breaths, "Thinking about my people. How it's my duty to remain purely Gerudo while they go off to make sure I  _have_  a future worth remaining pure for. Thinking about how my duty is nothing more than offering up my body to that  _scourge_  of Hyrule."

She desperately sniffled as her voice broke, "I- I'm cursed."

Zelda tugged her tighter, "Urbosa, you're not cur-!"

"I am," Urbosa confirmed with a shattered tone lining her whimpering words, "My legacy won't be any children with a man I love- it'll be the offspring of  _me_  and that single man so determined to bring this world to ruin, I- I have nothing to offer this world but continuing this cycle of hatred, unless my people d- d-"

She couldn't bring herself to invoke her people's extinction, so lost in her mind's endless corridors of despondency, having had to live knowing this her entire life. She knew she'd never be able to love, for who could love that which is purely evil? She knew that she would constantly live in fear for that night the Prince of Evil would finally assert his claim over her, if only to ensure his continued dominance through the next Hilarser. She knew that, for selling her femininity, selling her future children, selling anything resembling a normal life- yet, she could watch her sisters go off into the world, have their loves, their lives, their children. Even if it broke her heart to know she wouldn't ever partake- maybe it would be enough to know that she was doing as Nabooru did. Sacrificing herself for the good of her people. For the continuation of a people so cursed since the entry of demise into the world.

Softly, gradually, her aching heart began to tremble less, in gentle spurts now, as Zelda's quiet humming broke through to her in a daze. The Princess' voice was so beautiful, Urbosa thought; so calming it was to hear, nearly shedding her misery from its very hopeful tone. Another sniffle allowed Urbosa to speak up, suddenly catching the melody which Zelda was humming.

"That's-"

"It's your song," Zelda interrupted softly, "You would hum it to me when you came to visit, just when I was a little girl. I loved it so much- in the middle of the night, you'd sneak into my room and hum it to me until I fell asleep."

Urbosa gave a weak chuckle, so dichotomous to the tears still staining her skin, reaching up her free hand to wipe away the starlight tint sprawled down her cheeks, "You cried so much when it was bedtime and you had to stop listening."

Zelda smiled weakly, "I still remember the melody. Mom couldn't ever emulate it, but- When you left, I only had to sing it to myself."

She grinned more warmly, "I thought you were so cool, you know. Everybody in the castle was so reverent, but- You just kind of made the place your own. When she died, I- You held me so tight, and you hummed that tune until I stopped crying."

"I figured it might work the other way around, too," Zelda surmised, returning to a solemn expression.

Urbosa turned to watch the ground as Zelda relinquished her hug, muttering softly, "I'd nearly forgotten that song, myself. It was nice to hear."

A healthy silence arose as the two took in the air, allowing themselves a chance to recuperate from a moment earlier. Urbosa sighed, shaking her head reflectively as she thought of Zelda having to witness such a torrential wave of emotion from her; how bad of an example she was setting.

"Goddess, I'm sorry," she managed quietly, turning toward Zelda with a weakened smile, "Here you are on your first major quest, and instead of being a pillar of support, here I am wallowing."

Zelda grinned sincerely enough, "You've done plenty of supporting already. I never wanted you to bear any of my burden, you know."

"Well, it's difficult not to place myself in those shoes after all these years," Urbosa shivered with soft laughter, "Watching you grow up all these years. I can't help but think of myself in that light."

Urbosa's eyes fell toward the weak visage of Kara Kara Bazaar in the distance, spotting out the massive stone column that watched over the trading post. The desert had thrived as something of a commercial hub during her reign, offering her people riches and commodities. For all she had to feel sorry for, she knew that her people were the ones that mattered most.

"For what it's worth," Zelda spoke up lightly, earning a curious glance from Urbosa, "I, uh-…"

The Princess lowered her head as though in embarrassment, though her shaking voice quickly solidified, "You were always more than a Gerudo to me."

"You're more than just a woman to me, " Zelda admitted, her smile hidden from view, "You're a mother."

Urbosa's rigid face softened into a radiant smile at those words. She slowly reached an arm over, pulling Zelda into a gentle hug.

"That's worth everything, child. Even the endless grains of sand that line this desert," Urbosa concluded softly.

"You have a legacy beyond these evils," Zelda continued with a steady resolve, "I'll make sure of it."

Urbosa smiled, reaching up to pull Zelda's head against her in tender embrace, "You're much too good to a mere woman such as me."

"Well, you did teach me to find the best in people," Zelda admitted, fighting the childish urge to fight herself free from Urbosa's arms as she'd done while a child.

Urbosa chuckled, her powerful body vibrating against Zelda's without restraint, "I suppose I'll have to work on relearning that."

Her head began to shake in disbelief, "When did you take the role of teacher?"

Zelda giggled, "I must'a had a neat teacher myself."

Sighing, Urbosa held Zelda close, peering off into the distance as she rested her cheek atop the young woman's head as a smile stretched across her face, "By the goddess, you're so much like your mother."

Expecting something along the lines of a pithy reply, Urbosa turned her head down to examine Zelda's face, only to find her eyes closed, having easily found sleep within such familiar arms. It took Urbosa back to those days keeping watch over Zelda, the same event occurring even then, forcing a heartfelt smile upon the Gerudo's face.

"You're too good to me," Urbosa spoke softly in tender sincerity, smiling with demure veracity, "I suppose no daughter of my own could ever match you, anyway."

She chuckled slightly at the thought, returning her attention to the desert below while allowing Zelda to sleep. It had already been a tumultuous journey for Urbosa, and yet she'd never felt more in touch with the world beyond the snowfields and mesas of the Gerudo's massive peaks. Even if it meant facing the unpleasant perceptions of others, perhaps it was necessary to better appreciate all that she'd accomplished.

She had already come to relearn to so appreciate the young woman in her arms all the better. Why not more?


	11. Kara Kara Bazaar

Mipha frowned as she felt her skin begin to crinkle beneath the fierce sun, the sensation of warming blood initially having caused her great joy, though between the continued exposure, as well as the sun's reflection off the sand below, the intensity of the sun's light grew dramatically, leaving her with little choice but to beginning running her hand along her arms, massaging the gears gel in between her scales to better retain moisture. Unlike Hylians and the Gerudo, Zoras didn't sweat, leaving them in danger to begin with were they unable to regulate their constantly rising body heat, though the gel served to retain her body moisture while also acting as a sort of sunblock. Still, it left her rather displeased, the gelatinous ooze resting uncomfortably along her scales.

"How intriguing," Urbosa noticed, "And it's like a night and day difference?"

Mipha nodded dejectedly, "Yeah, I mean it does, just- Its texture just kind of leaves my skin unable to breathe, you know?"

"Hmm," Urbosa mused, "I've been interested in increasing Zora traffic down here, but like you said earlier, it's quite difficult. Perhaps if we branded our own gekari gel."

Daruk chortled happily, "Quite the entrepreneur, are we!"

Allowing a proud smirk, Urbosa explained, "Well, it would be of tremendous help. We're already largely limited to female merchants to begin with; if we could bolster Zoran traders, not only would both our cultures benefit from improved relations, but my people would absolutely adore a new assortment of trinkets and adornments from Zorana."

Zelda nodded in thought, "A practical idea, though executing it might be more difficult."

"Indeed," Mipha replied with a fierce look on her face, battling with the gel, "For one, gekari gel takes generations of talent to perfect. Even the Hylian concoctions make for inferior gels unless undertaken by true masters of the craft. It's quite intensive, and not something for mass production, I don't think."

Urbosa clutched her thin in thought, "Well, it's at least something to think about. A stable just before entering the desert would also work wonders as far as trade goes, but then there's the matter of traders even wanting to come here in the first place."

"Who wouldn't want to visit this place?!" Daruk exclaimed in shock, "I haven't felt so welcomed by such extrathermal heat in all my life! I'm used to the earth itself providing immense heat and power; the sun is quite different, but still intense upon these sands!"

Urbosa sighed meekly, "Well, not everybody shares that enthusiasm. And even if they might, they would also have reservations about the prying eyes of potential cretins. Plenty of men wander around these parts, simply begging for glimpses of our town, as though it's inhabited by angelic beings or something. I've heard enough false stories about our town that make their way around the land, piquing the interests of many."

Her lips curled distasteful, "We've even had instances in the past of female travelers getting harassed by some boorish rouges. I've tried stationing soldiers along the route, but- The whole thing; it's disheartening for me, and discouraging for potential travelers."

"Bah, the nerve," Daruk frowned, crossing his arms, "You should hire a pack of Gorons! With all due respect to my sworn brother, Gorons are truly the masters of protection!"

Link shrugged weakly, his brow furrowed with confusion as to what was being insinuated.

"We can roll along these dunes like nothing!" he declared, looking around while raising a hand to cover his mouth, clearing his throat, "May I?"

Urbosa shrugged, "Why not?"

The Goron charged a marvelous smirk before raising his arms, the stretching motion causing a small collection of pebbles to fall from his shoulders, his voice proudly proclaiming, "Allow me my sale's pitch! Ahem."

He made a dramatic pose, yanking a top hat from the nether and slamming it atop his head before pointing at Urbosa, "YOU have a problem! WE have solutions!"

Throwing a hand to the ground before it flew back with a jolt in recoil, a thin cane materializing from his grasp and digging itself dramatically into the sand below, "Goron Consulting, eye-in-tee-el! We've got the brawn to make up for brains!"

Revali dropped his face into an open palm, grimacing painfully amidst a groan. The others hadn't a clue, themselves, what was going on, but armed with such massive gusto, Urbosa was increasingly intrigued by the Goron's proposition…whatever that might turn out to be. Her eyes narrowed, even with Daruk dancing in place like a mad man, throwing theatrics every which way until finally burrowing into the ground as he rolled into a ball, much to Mipha's astonishment, as well as Revali's sudden intrigue, mostly due to the foreign nature of this act.

"Wow!" Zelda cried out excitedly.

A rumble left the rocky ball, as though it took Daruk a great deal of effort to speak in such a form, "Buuut wait, theeeere's more! We Gorooons tread across all terrrrrain at toooop speed, with eeeease!"

Revali's lips crinkled in awaiting suspense, finally resorting to goading the stone man, "Well, of with it! Course along these sands like a dervish, or do not!"

"Haaaang ooooon," Daruk groaned loudly as his body began to whirr atop the sand.

Another burst of painful grumbling left him, clearly having lost his use for this form for quite some time, allowing his rocky joints to churn awake. He spun quicker, careful to turn himself so as to encircle his adoring crowd, rather than speed off unto the ends of the desert; his body began to heat up with friction, his heart raced. A gasp of air left him once his body fell into its top speed in rhythmic fashion, his Goron heart forcing his body to work in overtime as a rush blew through his head from the excitement.

"BWAH HA HA!" he laughed a boisterous laugh, the speed allowing his body to expand in centrifugal fury, his speech returning as a result, "ARE YOU NOT TAKEN INTO SEVERE ASTONISHMENT?!"

Zelda bit her lip at the sight before them, careful not to say a word as she lowered her head, though still keeping her woeful eyes latched solely on the spinning Goron. Link sighed, dropping his head while Urbosa frowned in disappointment, though unable to hide the soft upturn at the edge of her lip, amusement creeping in. Mipha looked on, her excitement having turned into embarrassment, turning in surprise toward Revali as the Rito threw his arms out in disgust.

"Bah! This… _PARLOR_  trick is wearing immensely thin!" he shouted with great dismay.

Link shrugged, "He's probably making better time than you in a windstorm."

Revali turned away in disgust, shaking his head in disappointment, mostly in himself for having allowed his attention to stay upon the Goron for any distinct length of time. The others looked on in gradual, disheartened dread, even as Daruk went on with his boisterous showboating.

"MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!" he shouted, only causing his speed and trajectory to increase further.

Despite his intense focus, the Goron hadn't pressed onward an inch. As soon as he'd gone into his curled metamorphosis, his large frame had immediately sunk into the sand below, leaving his ever-increasing speed to be for naught, as well as his arching trajectory, which only caused him to spin in circles while stuck in that spot. As he entered maximum overdrive, however, a spewing of sand went spitting out from behind him, which combined with his spinning, leaving the Company wholly awash with sand, a chorus of unamused faces left there for Daruk as he slowed to a stop, hurrying back to his feet and reaching his arms out in triumph.

"TA DAA-! Hey, what happened to you all?!"

Zelda reached up weakly, rubbing the sand from her face before speaking gentle, "Uh, Daruk, I- I don't- I think you didn't-"

"PAH!" Revali spat out the sand from beneath his beak, "I MUST say, Goron, this vitriolic undertaking of yours has done NOTHING but mislay an intensely puerile impetus!"

Daruk watched him with confusion, "…was the pitch  _that_  good?"

"No! You irritating- GAH!" Revali shouted painfully, his hands hurriedly stroking his feathers, "This stuff is-! How can you  _live_  like this?!"

Urbosa smirked, "Elephants bathe in the stuff."

"Oh! Perfect!" Revali spewed sarcastically, "Let's just take billions of years of eroding rock, corpses, and goddess knows WHAT else- and DUMP it all over our bodies! Just have a merry old time BATHING in this insufferable- Get off!"

He continued brushing his feathers, too detested to even think of bringing his beak down to preen himself in such a state. His eyes coiled in a mix between hatred and despair, desperation; his feathers were his proudest feature- one of the few things he knew he could-

Revali jerked away in sudden recoil as he noticed Mipha's approach, yanking his arm up to shield his face in instinct before, "What is it, Zora?!"

She only smiled, bringing the jar of gekari gel from her side, earning her yet another reproachful gasp from Revali, "You've got to be kidding me! What is this?! Open season on my plumage?!"

"No," Mipha assured softly, "Just- Trust me."

He frowned, eyeing the others, "Yes, trust. A fine lot of people here for  _that_."

Urbosa returned a droll stare of her own, while Link watched with curiosity, catching Mipha as she handled the Rito's arm with such immense respect, even catching Revali off guard, her voice breaking ever so slightly across the wind, "This stuff also cleanses any impurities from between our scales, so- I figured it might get all that sand from between your feathers, as well."

The Rito sneered, though failed to physically repel her actions, allowing Mipha to press on. She carefully dripped a line of the gelatinous, gooey substance down Revali's arm, twisting it at his hand to allow the gel to cascade over either side, it's viscosity seeming to decrease as it went along as though the more impurities it found, the quicker it slid down his skin. Revali's eyes narrowed as the gel made it around his arm, gently pittering to the ground, leaving him rather surprised by the ordeal.

"H-Hey, that's-" he paused, almost with a worrisome air, "That's not bad."

Mipha smiled up at him, "It's not bad on clearing debris from metal coils, either."

"Metal coils, I-!" Revali began, immediately retorting with a zealous rebuke at such a reference, though just as suddenly pulled back his tongue, his face twisting as he instead managed, "Well, thank you."

She only smiled in reply, though her hand remained at his, allowing her to leave the jar of gekari gel in his palm for him to take. Revali's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he noticed what she had left him, curiously cocking his eyes back toward her.

"Do you not need this?" he asked incredulously.

Mipha merely shrugged with a grin, "I've applied all of it that I should need. It's lasts awhile for us, so- Your feathers are so majestic; it'd be a shame for them to lose their luster, huh?"

The Rito man, still suspicious, nonetheless accepted the jar, working off its lid to apply some more as Mipha gave a courteous nod of her head before joining the others, whom had taken to roasting a very confused Daruk, leaving Revali to watch her cautiously, as though unsure of her intentions.

She'd used this stuff on herself, so it wasn't poisoned or anything, he ascertained. Perhaps it was safe to use, regardless.

* * *

 

Urbosa's face shone brilliantly as the Company made their way into Kara Kara Bazaar, the only all-inclusive commercial spot in the desert, leaving it to be rather hectic during the days. Locals took up shops to sell their wares, so foreign to the rest of the world, especially the men, while travelers from around Hyrule came to sell their own mundane items that, here, were sought after. Rupees flowed like a waterfall here, thanks to how private the Gerudo were; Urbosa had turned ancient tradition into a lucrative asset that better helped the Gerudo in times of crises.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to my pride and joy- Kara Kara Bazaar!" she exclaimed happily, her face beaming excitedly, "Where tradition polymerizes with modernity. You can find a Gerudo elder selling ancient tosht dolls, and in the stall next to her, some bomb arrows. The second biggest commercial hub outside of Hyrule Kingdom."

"Oooh, wowie," Daruk mused weakly, leading by his nose, "The smells…"

Urbosa grinned, "We have quite the culinary fusion here, too. Mipha, you're familiar with the thistle roots of Necluda? Try cooking those with some safflina leaf and a bit of meat- you'll drool so much, you'd think you had filled that dam of yours by yourself!"

Giggling at the thought, Mipha took in the marketplace herself, keeping an eye out on all the eclectic vendors, all of whom seemed to incredibly different from the others when it came to their wares. She quickly jumped to the side as Daruk charged forward, desperate to find any source of the smells he was taking in, daring his tongue to go any second longer without tasting the delicacies here.

"Uh Daruk," Link minded, grabbing hold of the Gerudo's arm, "We've got a job to do, remember?"

Daruk turned with puppy-dog eyes, nearly in a breathless whine, "B-But-"

Chuckling at his insatiable reply, Urbosa grinned, "Normally I'd be the first to offer you the luxuries of these lands, but- It is as Link says. Vah Nabooris won't remain in its clear state for long; any moment, she could start up another lightning storm, so we'd best progress while we can."

Zelda smiled, reaching over to pat Daruk's arm herself, "Don't worry; we'll make time on our way back."

"Indeed," Urbosa nodded, "Until then, Zelda, Daruk, you two are with me. Lady Mipha, will you be joining us as well?"

She lowered her head to hide a weak smile, "While I'd like to visit, it would not be prudent of me. I'd be wise to remain with this oasis."

Urbosa eyes Revali, who'd been indulging himself with the remaining bit of gekari gel, leaving incredibly little to be given back to the Zora, though as long as she didn't seem to have any reservations, the Gerudo shrugged, nodding in agreement.

"Already, Zelda and Daruk, we'll head on out. At this rate, nightfall will be soon and we can traverse these lands without much dread of the rising heat," Urbosa confirmed aloud.

Zelda agreed, though she added, "Link, are you okay with..?"

He tilted his head easily, "I suppose I can trust your care with Urbosa. I've done it before."

The Gerudo smirked, pulling Zelda into a forceful sidelong embrace, "I wouldn't let the very winds touch her if I so willed it. She's safe in my care."

Zelda did her best to hide a giggle, finishing the assignments with ease, "Alright, Link, Mipha, Revali, you three hang out here for the night, and don't have too much fun without us."

Her eyes studied Link and Revali, the Rito still preoccupied with rubbing the gel across his plumage, "You two, please don't kill one another."

"PAH!" Revali immediately jerked his attention toward Zelda, "A true warrior such as myself would  _never_  allow death to come to someone so revolting without at least five days worth of suffering! This blackguard deserves that, and more, were it up to me."

Link turned toward him, "For my attitude?"

The Rito frowned, dropping his head to return to his gelatinous preening, "You deserve  _something_ …"

Link sighed, returning to Zelda with a simple, "You have my word. Mipha 'n I used to spar years ago; so long as she's here, I doubt I could make it past her anyway."

He turned to give the Zora a mischievous grin, "I only beat her once or twice."

"Because you cheated," she reminded with a pristine smile, careful to keep her head low.

Link reiterated for the others, "Birdbrain will be fine."

"Good," Zelda sighed, as though the thought had plagued her for a time, "In that case, we'd better get a move on. Other than maybe a meal for Daruk's sake, we'll grab the helm and return immediately in the morning."

Urbosa frowned, "We have some athletes who've taken up seal-surfing, but until that becomes more of a commercial venture, that's about all we can do. We won't tarry."

Link and Mipha both nodded, with Revali chirping up later with a quick, "Well, get a move on! This heat is murder on my auriculars!"

On that unceremonious note, the three non-male members of the Company headed off further into the desert, the rest of their mission becoming clearing by the day, save for the matter of how to approach the Divine Beast itself. As Mipha stood there, she figured so long as she and Revali were doing little of importance, the least they could do was come up with some ideas for when the others returned, though that thought only forced her attention back to Link, who wasn't an official Champion himself. He had become so integral that she often forgot that he hardly even wanted to be here, yet despite his rivalry with Revali, he seemed to be a rather good sport about the whole thing.

She smiled carelessly while watching him, quickly hiding herself as he turned away with a sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Well, so long as the ancient dictates of the Gerudo people dictate, we're kind of stuck here. You need anything for your scales, Lady Mipha?"

The Zora shuddered at his sudden reverence, "L-Lady Mipha?"

Link shrugged, "Well, it only bothers the Princess to be so casual, so-. Does it bother you?"

"N-No, I just-" she stammered nervously, "I was just getting used to it is all. It's kind of weird to hear, now."

Smiling at her childishness, Link shrugged, "Alright, I'll stick with 'Mipha'. Need anything?"

"Just some, uh…" she began, pausing disjointedly as her nerves reverberated, "If you find some swift violet, that's- supposed to be good for dry scales."

Link nodded, "Consider it done. I'll check out the market if you need to go ahead and get a swim in."

His brow narrowed with confusion, "Would anybody mind you doing that?"

Mipha shrugged, "I-I guess Lady Urbosa would have been the one to ask…"

With that lingering question, the two went about as though it had been answered, especially with the setting sun meaning traffic was decreasing anyway. With less and less people, Mipha's apprehension abated only for a brief moment, thinking more and more about her current predicament.

Much like a few nights ago, she and Link were more or less alone together.


	12. A Starlit Swim

Link's eyes peered tirelessly up toward the stars above, laying on his back with his hands behind his head for support, having tried to go to sleep an hour ago, but to no avail. Instead, he kept his eyes on the passing clouds, the thin, wispy trails all that remained of the storms that met the mighty Gerudo mountains, leaving no rain for the desert sands. The dark strands floating along the dark sky seemed almost eerie, like premonitory symbols meant to be read like tea leaves within a mug.

His eyes traced their way up to the moon, which greeted him on this night , having gone unseen behind the canyon walls the night before, its gentle glowing allowing him a bit of comfort. Restlessly, Link turned to his side, shutting his eyes tight as though to will himself to sleep, crossing his arms and shoving her hands between his arms and sides to keep warm as the breeze picked up, frowning to himself at having remained behind. He realized, too late, that he would have been quick to spend most of this time walking, even if it meant waiting outside Gerudo Town for a few brief moments. Alas, he'd made his bed, so to speak, though he still wasn't exactly content with sleeping atop the rough surface.

There he remained for a time, the seconds passing by slowly as he silently counted them. One… two… three… eighty-eight… eighty-nine… nine…ty… nine…ty o…ne… Sleepiness grew upon him gradually, but surely, his vision hazily leaving the back of his eyelids as he so slowly lost himself to-

"SNNNNNNOOOOOOCCK!" came an intense rumbling of a snore from nearby, sending Link's eyes wide open as he jerked his head around in shock, finding Revali sprawled out on his back, arms out wide as his open beaks emulated a steam engine, "SNNNNNOOOOOOCK!"

Link's eyes went red with tired futility, grumbling obscenities to himself as he returned to his napping position, eyes rolling with ire before shutting once again with a lengthy sigh escaping his nose. Not too long into this latest attempt at rest, however, Link's eyes opened once again, catching the sight of Mipha's equipment resting in line with the two of theirs, but she hadn't come to sleep yet, leaving a curious pang to cross Link's mind. Surely it was too late for her to be up doing much of anything, but what matter of it was his? He wasn't a Champion, despite that dutiful reverberation in his chest that demanded his unit be at its best.

Still, he'd known this person for most his life, and on that front, figured he was somewhat able to have such feelings in the way of camaraderie. He'd always had a soft spot for the Zora people, so dutifully adept at any and all skills they perused, almost as though each act of theirs was some religion- some worthwhile endeavor worthy of worship, of endless devotion. Such a righteous sense came to bear within Link as well when it came to his knightly duties, making them a people after his own soldierly soul.

Plus, they were friends, he and Mipha- not mere companions on this aimless journey. Link pushed himself up to his feet, finally surrendering to his body's revulsion of sleep, and made his way out from the space between tents that had been constructed near the edge of the Bazaar. The chilly breeze had died down, much to his relief, leaving him more willing to venture out and search for the young woman already so capable of looking out for herself. He'd known defeat at her hands far too many times to know anything else.

He made his way through the grove of tents made up by weary travelers, keeping an eye out for any adversarial activity, as was his instinct by this point. His steps tread carefully through the sand, hands help out in balance as he rounded the final tent, his vision just coming across the small pond at the head of the Bazaar with a-

He paused, stopping his advance with a jolt as his eyes locked onto the gentle waters of the oasis, a pang rushing through his chest at the sight. Bathed between the still waters below and the moonlight from above, Mipha floated atop the oasis waters, her eye in profile narrowed calmly while she took in the efflorescence of stars held up in the sky. Link's eyes froze, slowly sending his body toward the nearest tent as if to conceal himself; his mind aflutter by both the sheer beauty of this creature as well as why he hadn't noticed it before.

Without any sense of withdrawal, his eyes ran the length of her lithe body, curving and winding its way atop the still waters while still finding secrecy underneath the surface, its distortion only alluding to things unseen- things hidden. Link had known she was something of a pretty young woman, at least within a Zora's time-scale, but seeing her like this, nearly glowing, her crimson scales nearly glittering with starlight while curving around that body, so pert and slender. Without realizing, his hand and raised to clutch his shirt at his chest, hanging there as if to catch himself, though he wasn't falling.

Slowly, Mipha's head fell to the side, her eyes reflecting the moonlight and peering toward him like diamonds, watching him with growing confusion as her brow fell, forcing Link to rapidly regain something of composure, though in such a measly amount of time, this meant he more or less cleared his throat and turned off toward the Bazaar, pointing a finger with feigned confidence.

"The, uh, safflinas are in bloom," he managed, only forcing his own confusion to arise, "That is- to say…"

Mipha gave a helpful smile as the remained lying there atop the water, Link's eyes desperately remaining averted, lest they find themselves resting atop her body once more. The Zora spun in a reflexively spry manner, dipping her body forward into the oasis before sommersaulting in the water, allowing herself to more or less float upright as her head popped forth, still smiling with a friendly sort of warmth. Link remained unconvincingly preoccupied by the dark Bazaar, until Mipha spoke up with a calm voice.

"Did you come for a swim, too?"

"N-No!" Link assured, as though having been accused, throwing his attention back toward her, "I just- I couldn't sleep and noticed you hadn't gotten into your sleeping sack, so-"

Mipha smiled, "I can take care of myself, you assuredly already know."

A nervous sort of tone lined Link's voice, "I, uh- actually thought the same thing before coming to find you."

Giggling in reply, Mipha fell backward with something only quietly resembling a splash, disappearing into the shallow oasis waters. Link was rather astounded that such a tiny amount of water could be used with such contentedness by a Zora who was used to traveling up powerful streams and traversing great distances at once, his feet moving him closer as curiosity consumed him. Was she simply swimming in circles, or-?

Having only slightly closed the distance between himself and those waters, Mipha reappeared with the same near-silence she'd disappeared with, throwing her head upward, the exploding splash of droplets shimmering, surrounding her with starlit jewels for only a brief moment. Link's eyes locked onto her bare chest, catching emotions he might have had for a Hylian woman were he not so used to associating such women with dutiful actions. Hylian men and women were meant to be protected by his hand. This woman, however…

Link's eyes rebounded quickly as Mipha's stare returned to him, her hand gently stroking her dorsal fin as she floated there upright, drops of water glittering down her skin, "You know, we Zora that frequent enough ponds, lakes, rivers- we begin to get acquainted with them almost. You recognize the feel of them, the tastes, the oxygen content, everything. This oasis-"

She grinned, turning her head downward to examine the lowly body of water, "-it's almost playful in a sense, I don't know. It goes through so much just to remain here; perhaps it enjoys a friendly swim once and a while. just to make all those trials worth it."

Link remained still, almost frightfully so, forcing a smirk along Mipha's face as she decided to goad him along, "Come on. I want to show you something."

His brow scrunched in confusion, Link slowly approached the oasis waters, watching Mipha carefully as if expecting a prank to be pulled on him. Sure enough, she only replied with a smile, cupping her hands before dropping them into the water, only pulling themselves back out once Link arrived. She dropped her head in direction, to which Link answered by sitting there at the water's edge, cross-legged, as Mipha offered her hands toward him.

"You know where this water came from?" she asked.

Link replied, "Is that a serious question?"

Another brief giggle before Mipha nodded, "Go ahead."

A quick, reflexive frown crossed Link's face dismissively for only a second before lowering his head, only getting his body more enraptured by how close he was getting to those sleek hands of Mipha's. Taking a cue from her earlier words, he figured smelling the water was as good of an investigative technique as anything else at his disposal, lowering his head so that his nose came just at the cupped water's surface.

"Well, uh-" Link muttered, "It's  _still_."

Mipha smirked, pulling her hands toward her face, "There's some smells here, like Tabantha creeks. some bits of Lanayru tidepools- that might add a bit of liveliness. That water ascends to form clouds, and only the smallest amount can truly conquer the Gerudo Mountains and make it here."

Her eyes jumped up from her low-hanging head, catching Link's attention with an allure he hadn't known from this woman, her voice lowering questioningly, causing a pattering alongside Link's beating heart, "Have you caught on that I'm joking?"

"We- Well, I-" Link nervously replied, Mipha only grinning mischievously before dropping the water from her hands and pushing herself backwards, further into the shallow waters.

"Got you," she spoke up happily, almost snickering proudly.

Link sighed, raising his head with some dignity, "Maybe this one time, sure."

"Uh huh," Mipha cooed teasingly, pulling in her mischievousness to speak sincerely, "Would you like to join me? It's not that cold."

Link eyed her, "Spoken like a true cold-blood."

She only grinned, "Okay, maybe at first, but- you'll get used to it."

"After the hypothermia sets in, sure," Link challenged with a wry grin, finding a method of changing the subject, "Speaking of, do you know how to spell that in Hylian?"

Mipha bit her lip, averting her eyes as her swimming body came to a stop, "Well, no, but I'm working on it."

She smiled weakly, "Your Princess must know herself. She's all to ready to hand me the map, while also proclaiming the names of places, as though giving me some guidance in what to look for."

"Subtle studies," Link chuckled, lowering his face as Mipha's body returned to its gentle skimming along the water's surface.

It was only with the slightest bit of apprehension that he allowed his eyes to roll upward, catching Mipha's body ever so delicately sliding along the oasis, having returned to lying out on her back and simply floating there, Link's proximity allowing him to catch her fins trailing along underneath her, fluttering silently as they slid through the water. He wondered what her skin must feel like atop of his, quickly jolting free from such dangerous thoughts as Mipha's voice broke through, a tender, longing tone accompanying it.

"You know, we used to worship the moon as our goddess," Mipha explained quietly, "It creates the tides, so- when our distant ancestors first strode onto the earth from the oceans, it was only due to her coercion. It took the form of a celestial mother almost, casting the sun's light upon us even in the dark of night; the moonlight has a subtle kind of warmth to it, not- It's more comforting than the sunlight, which is far more useful in basking."

She turned an eye toward Link, "Can you not feel its warmth?"

Skeptically, Link replied, "Trying to get me again, huh?"

"No," Mipha insisted with a giggle.

Playfully speeding up her gliding along her back, she somersaulted once again, Link captivated by her lithe form once again, before straightening up and swimming her way closer to Link, his eyes staying on her apprehensively as she approached within those soft waters. Without speaking, she stuck out an arm from the tiny pond, reaching out toward Link's side and shoving a single finger into the sand, curving it into the unmistakable shapes of Hylian script, leaving Link with a raised brow, surprised that she was making sense to him with her movements.

" _Mipha_  " the Zora smiled, raising her eyes toward Link proudly so, contented with her ability after only a handful of days.

Link nodded in assurance, "Not bad. You must have a knack for languages."

She frowned, "We're that the case, I'd have picked it up by now. Then again, Hylian books are rare in Zora's Domain, ever since Muzu had them all banished, so this journey  _has_  been more exposure to your written word than I'm normally exposed to."

"I thought it might just be a biological thing," Link shrugged, "Like, do you take to your native tongue easier just because of how you are?"

Mipha wondered silently, her eyes fluttering off toward the distance as she did so, "I've never thought of it. Though, our native 'tongue' isn't."

"Huh?"

Giggling weakly, Mipha lowered her head with slight embarrassment, "Well, uh- In the water, speech doesn't travel…you know. Our native langue was more like…clicking and stuff."

Link's lips turned up with amusement, more due to how ashamed Mipha seemed to be of the topic, "Really? How does it go?"

"W-Well, I, uh-" she spoke up, flustered, recalling Link's inability to enter the water, "That is, I- I can't do it outside the water, so- it's a futile effort otherwise."

Link thought of the frigid air surrounding him, but quickly put it aside, thinking so much more about how she'd played him moments earlier and how the score needed to be settled. As a wave of relief coursed through Mipha's body, believing she had successfully thwarted the embarrassing act of speaking in her native 'language', her eyes immediately jolted open as Link rose to his feet, crossing his arms and taking hold of the bottom end of his shirt.

"J-J-J-Just what're you doing?!" she questioned in a desperate attempt at understanding, though Link simply pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it atop a nearby tent.

He shrugged, "You said you could only do it underwater, so-"

Between his bare torso, its muscular tone that immediately drew Mipha's attention, and his wording, she immediately gave a nervous chattering of her teeth, "W-W-What?!"

"Your ancient language," Link clarified with a grin.

She barely even heard him that time as well, her eyes still struggling to remain off his pale skin which had gradually begun to rise with a tiny of scarlet, the cold air having brought his blood forward to better warm himself. Her breath nearly caught in a faraway place for how decadently warm and muscular he seemed to be, even as he kicked off his boots and tossed away his socks. She still hadn't a word as he stepped into the oasis with a shivering gasp before settling in.

"Goddess, it's cold," he griped, though quickly turned toward Mipha, "Well, is there a specific depth you need to be or anything?"

Mipha's feigned confidence, quickly taking a brave face as she cleared her throat, "N-No, I can be anywhere, but- Won't you be cold submerging yourself?"

Link shrugged, "Its not too bad; I'm warm-natured anyway, so the cold is actually pretty nice against my skin."

Her heart skipping a beat, Mipha's eyes glazed over but for a moment, such a phrase easily misinterpretable as something of a flirty advance, though Link remained placid, simply watching as Mipha did her best to compose herself. She cleared her throat once more, silently praised any and all gods, as well as the moon, for her inability to blush, and offered one last chance for surrender.

"I won't have to save you from drowning again, will I?" she asked with a smirk.

"Hey," Link reminded quickly, "I'm pretty sure Jiahto had more to do with rescuing me. Either way, I've become quite the adept swimmer in my adulthood."

Mipha watched him nervously, the pounding in her chest increasing as she further battled the urge to glance any lower than his chin. How was it that she desired nothing more than to do nothing but lay atop this man, basking not in the sun, but in his powerful, spirited, courageous flame, set alight within his very spirit? The thought itself frightened her, and for a brief moment, she was relieved as she descended into the waters below, allowing herself a quick moment to groan to herself before Link could join her, hoping to have released so much emotion in order to better focus.

Joined beneath the water's surface, Link watched Mipha attentively, his cheeks puffed in withheld breath. The sight was truly childish, though Mipha was quick to remain neutral; besides, she needed to focus, recalling what exactly it was she had to do. Ancient Zora language was in disuse, carried only by royalty, really, alongside a few outliers who found interest in the sonar-like speech. Mipha concentrated, long enough that Link had to return for another breath, the Zora woman having made a motion for him to do so after signaling toward her head to symbolize her thinking.

Finally, she had something, her eyes cast just below her cranial ridge as they watched Link shyly. He only watched attentively, the growing nerves swelling up within Mipha's chest. It was already quite embarrassing, and a bit undignified considering how able the Zora were, now, with their tongues capable of actual speech, but Link had asked- this Hylian- this man, whom she'd known as a boy. How had he grown into such a handsome man? That clumsy little thing, who'd hardly come up to Mipha's shoulders as a young teenager.

She remembered that promise she'd made to herself. Promising herself to this strong, courageous man, only if he returned taller than she. He had unknowingly kept that bargain, and her heart was take-

"SquEEEEK-!"

Mipha's hands flew up to cover her mouth, eyes shooting open wide in terror as her vocal cords recoiled from their sudden, unexpected chirping, almost that of a dolphin's, as Link's mouth immediately let loose a flurry of bubbles as he laughed, forcing himself to surface before his lungs took on water.

"Pfft, ha ha!" he finished, struggling to catch a breath between his laughs, throwing his hands up along his forehead to remove his hair from his face, "Mipha, that-"

He couldn't withhold his chuckles, even after noticing Mipha simply staying underwater, too terrified and embarrassed to face the man once again. Link gently reached for her in hopes of guiding her back to the surface, but her body immediately swirled away, her speed tremendous in that aquatic environment.

"Mipha…" Link muttered dishearteningly, despite her being unable to hear.

She finally surfaced at the far end of the oasis, still covering her face as she began exiting the pool of water, shaking her head in utter humiliation until Link spoke up, "Mipha, don't-! It was just cute, okay?"

Those words did little to soothe her embarrassment, yet- She stopped in her tracks, turning back around to face him with a low, downtrodden face, her voice lined with dejection.

"I- didn't even do it right," she admitted weakly.

Link shrugged, "I wouldn't have even know had you not said anything. Look-"

He swam over toward her, his body's athletic movement catching Mipha's eye. Half her body still submerged, Link came close by, still having to wade within the water as she stood, kicking his feet restlessly as he explained.

"I didn't mean it to be mean, I- If it had been such a big deal, I would have dropped it," he concluded softly, "Sorry."

Mipha's lips had curled into a frown, though they'd subtly grown content with his words. For all that was embarrassing about her aquatic speaking in general- she truly had wanted to ease Link's interest. She wanted him to know- well, maybe wanted him to know, through such subtle means, that she trusted him. And then to mess up as she had…

"I couldn't swim," Link suddenly spoke up, tearing Mipha from her mind's eye.

"Huh?"

Link's lips rolled inward with knowing defeat, "Yeah, I was- pretty terrified of water, really. I was kind of scrappy as a kind, with my curiosity to broad for my abilities at the time. I got into a few fights, 'n one of them involved me nearly drowning. Some kid shoved my head in a fountain, and- If our instructor hadn't shown up, I might not be here today. But I was terrified of water for the longest time."

Mipha watched him cautiously, "I don't under-"

"Well, I figured it's a tradeoff," he explained, "One embarrassing thing for another."

The Zora smiled lightly, "Being afraid of the water isn't  _that_  embarrassing, at least for a Hylian."

"Well, making pretty noises like  _that_  shouldn't be embarrassing for a Zora."

A chill crossed Mipha's spine, those deep-seated emotions she'd had about this man swelling up within her. Her head hung low, she raised her eyesight just enough to catch Link's warm look, with that face that so easily melted her heart on occasion. She knew it was wrong- it always had been. But she couldn't help it.

Link's hands went numb, knowing he'd gone a word too far with his last statement. He worried he had gone too far, knowing that Mipha certainly had something a little bit more than friendship when it came to the two of them. He always thought it might have been some childish thing, but, looking back after being told that Lady Mipha would be joining this Company- But he was a soldier, and despite imbibing in a little fun with her, hadn't any intentions of leading her on. But that word, 'pretty'- it had certainly gone too far.

"Sorry, I-"

He suddenly spit out in the aftermath of a burst of water crashing against his face, jerking his head to the side in recoil before returning to find Mipha with her hands in the water, clutched together to create a squirt gun with her fingers acting as pressure gauges to launch a small amount of water into the air. Link watched her in confusion, remembering having taught her that very thing as children, with only a mischievous smirk crawling upon his face, quickly replicating her motion as she pressed on, squirting him again as Link tensed, blindly firing his own stream of water back at her as she dove into the water, leaving Link to spin in following her direction, his hands coupled, primed to fire.

"Hey, no fair," he asserted as Mipha quickly burst through the bottom of the oasis' waters.

She seemed to have heard him, immediately heading for the surface with a burst of water splashing from her exit, collapsing onto Link's head and rendering him blind once again as she fired at him once more. The two resorted to laughing fits as Link simply resorted to slicing his open palms through the water's surface, sending bursts of water in Mipha's direction as she slammed her dorsal fin, clapping against the water to emit bursts of water. Their playful act continued until Link raised his hands in surrender, his legs having begun to tire.

"Alright, alright, you win," he admitted weakly, his breaths ragged.

Mipha grinned, "Again, you mean."

Link groaned, rolling his eyes, "Okay, I suppose that's twice now, tonight. There'll be more though, I swear."

"Uh huh," Mipha teased, quickly rushing over amidst noticing his weakened swimming, "And if you drown, that's  _another_  in my column."

Link chuckled, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Gently, her arms wrapped around his bare chest. Link's eyes remained forward nervously, not wanting to turn to face the woman who'd just taken him into her arms. There came a pause between the two, Mipha's heart racing at the sensations that began swirling around within her. This man was so warm, she thought, even in these cool waters. The two feelings rendered the two of them speechless, still in the middle of the oasis with Mipha holding Link afloat while his legs slowed.

"I wouldn't like that," she admitted carefully, her voice a whisper before kicking her own legs to direct him toward the embankment, smiling as if to attempt to diffuse the situation, "You know, you're rather uncouth for a Royal Knight."

Link's eyes turned toward her, catching her glance as his feet hit the sand at the bottom, "I mean, I haven't a Princess to protect right now, so…"

Mipha bit her tongue, her heart  _begging_  for her to speak, though her head only fell with a lonesome smirk, betraying her heartfelt tugging. How she so desperately wished to be that Princess behind his breath. Within in arms. Perhaps even within his heart… Yet she couldn't bear to speak, Link's hands coming up to her arms gently, worry beginning to set in.

"Thanks," Link nodded, "I don't have much fun these days, but- You kind of take me back, I guess, to those days where everything was so less serious and strenuous. Everything was less worrisome and all that, so-"

Mipha smiled, "I had fun too. Even with the embarrassment."

"Got you," Link smirked boyishly, carefully working his way out from the oasis as Mipha watched his bare back dripping with water, wholly allured by the sight of him glistening along muscular ridges.

He retrieved his shirt and socks before turning back toward Mipha, nodding toward her, "If anything, it got me all tired, so I'll head back. Make sure you get some rest too, though, okay?"

Mipha nodded obediently, watching as Link disappeared behind the line of tents that sat nearby. Instead of returning to her swimming, however, she simply watched the waters before her, watching their rippling motions, still from Link's having left. Each ripple, almost as if Link were still there, still brushing up against her skin with every ridge atop the water. She crossed her arms, holding herself as her eyes closed softly, imaging it were he in her arms and not herself.

How she so desperately wanted to be  _that_  Princess to him.


	13. A Thunderous Reunion

Link and Mipha stood almost silently as they awaited the return of the rest of the Company, an air of awkwardity covering, at least in Mipha's mind, the atmosphere surrounding the two of them. Her shoulders enclosed as she stood there, grappling her bag of supplies in front of her, as if in some subtle defensive stance, though she couldn't tell what exactly was causing her shell-like posture. Perhaps it had been the night before, she thought for only a brief moment, before shaking that memory from her head. The last thing she wanted was Link to bring it back up, forcing her to deal with the flurry of emotions that had swirled throughout her body, their light attempt at relaxation having gradually grown into something far more…strange.

She lifted her head, only barely, to peer at Link, who was standing nearby with a small booklet in his hand, writing in it with the other, perhaps taking stock of everything they'd purchased from the bazaar for the means of their continuing journey. Mipha couldn't help but smirk at such dutiful behavior coming from a man so quick to refute any and all involvement in this Company.

Slowly, she lowered her head once again, her brief show of brightness fading away as she stopped herself from offering to help. The quick thought of his reply, of hearing his voice, suddenly terrified her, if only because she hadn't a clue how her heart might react to such things. Her mind had been aswirl so fiercely, not only due to her upbringing all but preventing her from exploring such fascinations as the opposite sex, but because of… Her eyes fell at the thought. She allowed her bag to hit the sand quietly before allowing a hand to reach up, grasping her opposing arm as if to cover herself.

Mipha's face burned, not with embarrassment, but with shame. with anger. Anger that everything she felt now, about Link, was so inexorably tied with such heartache in her past. The very sort of thing she now so readily wished to indulge in was the very thing that prevented her mother from ever looking at Mipha the same way. and as much as it continued to confuse her, it broke her heart just the same.

"Hmm," Link suddenly mused under his breath, examining his booklet, "That should be it. I wouldn't expect Revali to return with anything to add."

Breaking Mipha from such a tumultuous reverie, she turned her attention toward him as he handed over the booklet, "Here."

"What's this?" she asked, taking the hand-sized pamphlet-like book.

Link shrugged, "Just an old exercise I picked up for organization's sake. Keep track of your junk, as my old commander put it; it just makes it easier when tracking down supplies, though, with Daruk in tow, I'm not exactly tracking food stores."

He grinned, watching as Mipha rotated the booklet as if trying to orient it properly, "Figured you might try and catch any words you might have come to recognize."

Mipha's eyes strained as she attempted to do so, her focus remaining steadfast as Revali's voice broke the air, the Rito having returned from a final perusing of the bazaar, "Hylian! Zora! You must examine the accouterments and trappings the have on display today! A caravan from the outskirts has brought a plethora of intriguing things!"

Link's lips turned in feigned interest, simply returning his attention to Mipha as he spoke up in reply, "Well, just so long as the Gerudo you bought from didn't see a foreigner and decide to take you for a ride."

Scowling distastefully, Revali shot Link a glare, "I'll have you know,  _nothing_  goes over my head, Hylian."

Shrugging, Link couldn't help himself, taking a quick glance toward Revali, "You know what they say, there's a sucker hatched every second."

"Pah. So clever, are we?" Revali shot back sarcastically while shaking his head, "The only fool I see here is you, Hylian; what, with your fettered garb keeping you so restrained in this heat."

Link rolled his eyes, "I'm a  _knight_. There's an expectation of me. Such things cannot be said of you, however."

Recognizing Link's subtle hint toward further such jabs, Revali merely scoffed aloud in reply, instead turning his conversation toward Mipha, who'd turned up from the booklet, "Zora, I did ask for some of that gekari gel in order to repay you. Fortunately, she did have two jars among her impedimenta that I procured for you."

Surprised, Mipha's brow rose as Revali pulled a jar of gel from his pack, handing it back to her with a respectable air, "Thank you for such foresight, and for offering me the same advantages you sought for yourself."

"O-Oh! Well, it's not at all a problem," Mipha affirmed happily, accepting the jar and rummaging through her own rucksack to store it, "I'm just happy it seems to have given you some relief."

"Indeed! I must return home with such tidings of its usefulness!" Revali exclaimed suddenly while allowing a hand to run along his feathered mantle, "I'd have preened for days to achieve a similar effect! Well, it's lackluster in comparison to preening, but for convenience sake, it seems to be well suited for such occasions."

Once again unsure of how to accept the back-handed compliment, Mipha simply smiled while bowing her head, "Thank you. I'm sure we'd be more than happy to work out something of an arrangement between our people, should you find gekari gel useful."

"T'would be nice indeed," Revali noted with a nod, "Such distance separates our people; it would be advantageous to find reasons to extend ourselves so far."

His eyes fell to Link once again, "Though I dread the thought of crossing the lands of Hylians…"

"Were you not so obnoxious, you might find our hospitality to be rather agreeable," Link shrugged, "Mipha here, for example, would be treated to the finest spas away from Death Mountain, and offered only the finest waters and oils with which to bathe in. Had your people not been so antagonistic, we might have had reason to better learn what amenities best compliment the Rito."

Revali rolled his eyes, "I apologize for my ancestor's  _antagonism_ ; we were only trying to  _stay_   _alive_ , after all."

He turned to Mipha, "Watch them. It wouldn't surprise me if this entire enterprise is Princess Zelda's attempt to learn more about how best to invade."

"Yes, the girl who will drop to the ground at the very hint of some new flora or fauna is best equipped at invasion," Link muttered drolly, his head rolling along his shoulders, "You don't need  _my_  word to trust how stupid your bird-brained ideas are."

Revali scowled, taken aback by Link's brazen words just long enough for Mipha to interject, not wanted the others to return to such a confrontation, "H-Hey, let's just- What in the name of the goddess is that..?"

Her eyes had peered off into the distance, her shaky tone catching the two boys' attention as they turned to find Urbosa strolling into town, beneath a ghastly-looking ornamental pillar of gold that sat atop her head, with six green, beady eyes staring right back at them. Link's eyes went wide in shock at the sight, leaving Revali to grab hold of his bag, shaking his head.

"I'm done," he muttered, raising his free hand as if to wash it clean of his involvement with anything to do with these people.

Link reached out absently to hold him back, causing the Rito to spew back in a retaliatory voice, "I'm  _not_  about to be seen carrying on alongside such a ridiculous trinket!"

"Hey!" Urbosa shouted, pushing the Thunder Helm up over her head so that she may see, "This  _trinket_ has protected my people for millenia! Since the time Vah Naboris came to be, even."

She pulled the helm from her head, examining it in her arm for a moment in monumental awe, "For all the pillaging, warfare, and hatred we've been subjected to across the ages, this helm remains the single possession of ours untouched by anybody beyond the Gerudo."

Zelda and Daruk weren't far behind, the former taking the initiative as she peeked around Urbosa's side to view the helm once again, "Queen Seorake even died as a result of ensuring this helm remained purely Gerudo, correct?"

Urbosa nodded proudly, "Indeed! A Hylian general was all but prepared to slide it onto his head when Seorake charged at his royal guard, splintering their troupe and slicing off the man's head! Needless to say, they put her to death, but such ferocity was so respected, they left the Thunder Helm in place after occupying Gerudo Town for a while."

Scoffing at such a trifling tale, Revali turned away with crossed arms, leaving Link to lean to the side to find what had caused Daruk to go without such a boisterous entrance, finding the Goron with armfuls of food, even some sausage links dangling from his neck and biceps. Noticing Link's inquiring glance, the Goron lifted his arms in presentation, gleefully murmuring from within a mouthful of food.

"Wink! 'heck it owt!"

Link's brow curled in worry as Zelda quickly attempted to regain control over the rapidly meandering attention of the Company, "Did you three sleep well? I apologize; we sort of tarried along a bit."

"Oh, not at all," Mipha replied with a shake of her head, hiding a grin with her hand, "I mean, it seems Daruk enjoyed himself."

The Goron raised a handful of food as though in offering, leaving Zelda to continue, "Alright then. We're off into the desert, then. To the west lies the plateau where Vah Naboris often strides. Urbosa and I were speaking about it and concluded that the best course of action would be to ascend to the peak and hop on."

"Pshaw!" Revali scoffed, "How do you expect such trudging beings as you all to ascend such grandiose heights?! It would be nothing short of immense hubris to claim victory over such-"

He paused, noticing Zelda's almost hopeful stare toward him. Quickly turning toward Urbosa and finding her with something of defeat lining her face, Revali was left questioning.

"…wait," he muttered drolly.

Zelda sighed, "Well, Urbosa can make quick work of the cliffs, but the rest of us may need some, uh…assistance."

Revali scowled, " _I_   _beg_   _your_   _pardon_?!"

"I mean," Zelda paused, taking a second to better prepare her argument, though Urbosa interjected all the same.

"We need you to be a carrier pigeon," she spoke with ease.

Revali sputtered with both anger and confusion, "By the-! I've never heard of something so…revolting!"

Link offered simply, "Seems fitting."

The Rito spun around to shoot Link the fiercest of stares before returning toward Zelda, "Surely this was not what you meant by bringing us all together. Running us all ashame with such indignities!"

"I-I mean, that was just one idea!" Zelda clarified with a hasty tone.

Smirking, Urbosa shrugged, "A pretty good one."

Revali's face curled up angrily, his arms shooting to his chest as they crossed, "With the great god Witwa as my witness, no such degradation will  _ever_  befall my talons, I can certainly assure you."

Sighing lightly with some relief, perhaps that Revali hadn't immediately soared off, Zelda simply retorted, "Alright, we'll come up with something else on the way. As I said, just an idea. Daruk constructed an idea regarding a slingshot."

"OWH WEAH!" Daruk exclaimed through a mouthful of buzzard, "Sohmt'ng like dat."

Revali cackled, turning toward Link expectantly, "Now  _that's_  a solid idea! I'd love for this Hylian to be the first to test it!"

"We're not testing anything that's not safe for us all," Urbosa confirmed with a low tone, "That's what this Company is about. Either all of us, or none of us. If  _we_  cannot remain united, how can we expect the whole of Hyrule to follow our example, should the inevitable occur?"

Revali shrugged, cocking his head to the side with indifference while Zelda returned to the fore, "Alright everybody, prepare to get a move on. We haven't much time if we're to meet Vah Naboris as she makes her rounds along the Great Cliffs; regardless of whatever method we decide upon when it comes to getting up there, that is where we strike."

Perhaps more of fatigue settling in than anything else, the Company gave a collective, unenthusiastic series of nods to answer Zelda, much to her dismay. Her brow furrowed in worry, her mind suddenly awash with doubt, worry about morale, the Company's perceptions of her, of-

"Understood?!" Urbosa shouted with a fierce air.

The crew immediately perked up.

"Y-Yesh!" came from Daruk.

"Of course, Lady Zelda!" from Mipha.

"On my honor," Link nodded.

Lastly from Revali, the Rito gave a heated snort before shrugging, "Aye aye."

Not long after, the Company of Champions headed off into the desert, leaving nothing behind after the trails of footsteps in their wake. Upon the horizon, the giant mechanical beast, Vah Naboris could be seen, the powerful stomping of ground beginning to reverberate even unto the Company's feet as it approached. As Zelda peered off toward its darkening silhouette, she couldn't help but fathom the many Sheikah footsteps that had traversed these very lands where she stood. How many Sheikah minds had come together to build such a spectacular invention. How many Sheikah had given so much so that Hyrule might prevail against this dark, imposing threat.

How Zelda so hoped she would not fail.


	14. Riding the Lightning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, every story gets to a point where readers suddenly realize how bad I am at writing action scenes xD Hopefully it's not too bad to grasp what all's going on :p

"Well, I'll take what we can get," Link muttered absently, "Not nearly as hot as it was the day we showed up here."

Mipha nodded, stroking the scales along her arm, "Certainly. I barely feel much difference than when I'm taking a light sun bath. If anything, it's just right that I'm not lethargic; it's interesting to feel comforted while also able to remain mobile."

"Well, my little Zora friend, should you require a powerful grasp to keep you aloft, look no further than Daruk!" the large Goron exclaimed, all to happy to wring out a credential, "I  _was_  voted 'most helpful' years ago, back when I was a little pebble paddler; my fate as a hero of the Gorons was, in a sense, set in stone!"

He chuckled at his own pun, allowing Urbosa to interject over her shoulder, "You should return during the winter season, Mipha. You haven't humidity up in Zorana, correct?"

Mipha's eyes went wide with nervous confusion at being on the spot, her stare quickly spinning toward Link for reassurance, though Urbosa happily explained with a chuckle, "Humidity is like- Well, it's not raining, but the air almost feels damp in a way, as though water itself is struggling to grasp onto the very air."

"Wooow," Mipha mused quietly in wonderment, having never thought such a thing would have existed.

"It's murder on the tourists, since it basically has 'em sweating constantly, but for a Zora? It might be a fun little thing. You don't sweat, do you?" Urbosa asked.

Mipha shook her head, "Honestly, we would probably die if we did. We're cold blooded beings, so too much heat really only puts us to sleep."

"Bwah ha!" Daruk laughed, "Perhaps Death Mountain could become a Zora resort! I've heard of many people who wish to sleep for days on end; perhaps a Goron squad of handlers could carry a mobile bed for which a Zora could sleep on, the squad ready and willing to remove the Zora at just the right times to keep them asleep without overdoing it."

Link grinned, "That's the sort of ingenuity that gets you 'most helpful pebble paddler'."

With a swift gesture, Daruk launched a thumbs up toward Link, leaving Mipha to giggle in reply, "That's, uh, an interesting idea."

Zelda's lips curled in thought, still wondering how to mend the conflict from earlier, taking the chance to include Revali in on the fun, "Revali? What about the Rito?

"What about us?" he asked rather snidely, "Do we sweat, sleep, or help others?"

He quickly shot a glance toward Link, whose mouth had opened in retort, Revali warning mildly, "Don't…"

Link frowned, though reneged on his witty retort, instead allowing Zelda to continue her good will, "Well, I suppose sweating. I guess it gets hot the closer you stretch yourself toward the sun."

"We do not sweat, no," Revali uttered, more with disgust, "Though I can imagine the nightmare of bathing in your own body's natural grimy extracts. If you must know, we Rito have a wide array of methods with which to deal with excess heat. The temperature was downright furious last night, for instance, so I took in the opportunity to flutter my gular a handful of times."

Urbosa shot him a wonderous glance, stifling a snicker, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Gah, how I do miss  _cultured_  individuals…" Revali's sighed in exasperation, "You just open your mouth and flutter your neck; it's nothing spectacular."

Link waved his arms excitedly, "No, no! It's amazing! Please, show us!"

"Yes, you must!" Urbosa goaded, though both of their cries to action were met with a scoff.

"Please, do not think me stupid enough; this is clearly only to get in a laugh. We can't  _all_  be Hylia's chosen people, so some must indulge in depravity; it's nothing new," Revali groaned inexorably, shaking his head, "But please, ask the Goron next; I'm on the edge of my seat to hear this conversation to its conclusion."

Daruk's brow furrowed with confusion at the baton being passed to him, his hand reaching up to stroke his burly, white beard, "Well, uh- I mean, we're mere rocks imbued with the breath of life, as offered by the goddess Nayru herself. I don't even know what heat is."

Suddenly realizing just how weird this made him sound, Daruk grew more and more nervous, "That is to say, I- Heat, I mean- I don't know heat, like  _heat_ , but I do know the burning heat of embarrassment that tears through a being unable to truly-"

"Daruk! Daruk; it's okay," Link assured, interrupting the man before he lost himself to his own nervous pressures.

The interjection allowed Daruk a break, his head dropping forward as he apologize, "S-Sorry."

"Oh no, it was quite a display," Revali assured with a sardonic air, "For one so foreign to heat, you don't seem much a stranger to meltdowns."

"Yeah, well-!" Daruk challenged immediately, though was quickly stopped by his own lacking wit, "Bah, you- you-…"

At that, Daruk took a finger and stroked it along his arm, creating a series of scritching, scratching sounds made from rock upon rock, its tenor undigestible, yet still holding some sort of pattern to it. Almost proud of himself, Daruk took a finger and yanked down his eyelid while throwing his tongue out toward Revali. For his part, the Rito simply watched with narrow eyes, disgusted by the wholly unrecognizable display.

"How can you seriously wish to insult me when I don't even know what it is you are doing?" Revali wondered lightly, not encumbered in the least by such a quandary.

Daruk cracked a smile, "Ancient Goron language, developed when we were still within the mantle of Hyrule's earthen soil. No light, no sight, no speech; we had to make do with what we had to communicate. If I must translate for your  _feeble_  mind…"

He readied himself, only to flinch at the final moment, turning to Link, "Uh, there are ladies here…"

Urbosa scoffed at the notion, smirking while Link shrugged, "So? Just whisper it into my ear and I'll say it. Urbosa can hold Zelda's ears shut."

"I beg your pardon?!" Zelda exclaimed, suddenly whipping around toward the others.

Slightly surer of himself, Daruk nodded, leaning over to offer the translated words to Link himself. He cupped his mouth just for safety's sake, though Mipha couldn't help but lean closer, her curiosity winning her over, though she immediately flinched backward as Link pulled away in terror.

"WOOOOAH!" Link cried out aloud, wholly taken aback.

Daruk chuckled, his upper body bounding back and forth jovially as though immensely proud of himself, "Not bad, huh?"

"Even  _I_  wouldn't say that to him," Link assured, raising his arms with incredulity, "How could I ever hope to  _speak_  to anybody after allowing that past my lips?"

The Goron gleefully shrugged, still intensely proud, "Well, perhaps one day, if Revali truly gets underneath my skin."

Revali eyed him with disdain, though not offering much of anything else in reply, allowing Daruk his moment in the spotlight, even if it was of his own creation. Studying the horizon, Urbosa slowly raised a hand as if to get everyone's attention.

"Insults or not, keep your eyes out. There's a sandstorm brewing."

Grumbling, Revali complained, "Another wonderful perk of this desert, no doubt."

"Actually, I do hear good things about sand storms and the Gorons," Zelda surmised with a studious tone.

Daruk nodded surely, "Exfoliation is necessary for athletes, particularly those who curl up and race down the mountain."

"Maybe so, but this isn't just a small one. It's a formidable one, from the looks of it," Urbosa noted with a darkened breath, "I believe it would be best to prepare sooner than later."

Zelda nodded, "I agree. Luckily, Urbosa thought this one through as well."

Preemptive in her attentiveness, Urbosa had already began pulling an immense length of cord from her pack, showing it off to everybody to mixed reaction as she explained, "Tie yourselves in line so that we don't lose one another."

Both Link and Revali's brows furrowed, the former replying, "Wait, seriously?"

"Is there a problem?" Urbosa questioned.

Shrugging, Link answered, "I mean, this is the kind of thing they do to kids at school to keep them in line."

Urbosa smirked, "You don't have some sort of little boy syndrome, do you?"

"N-No!" Link assured nervously, "It's just a sandstorm; I can handle myself."

"I don't doubt that. That's not what we're preventing here."

Link shrugged, "I'm not even a  _part_  of this group; so what if I turn up separated?"

Studying his face, Urbosa's eyes narrowed as a droll frown stretched across her face, her arms curling as they crossed her chest. Daruk had happily accepted not only the cord, but the lead position, already helping Zelda tie the next section of cord around her own waist.

"Well," Urbosa mused, "If you don't, who will protect the Princess?"

Reminded of his mandate, Link frowned, sulkingly trudging toward the others after relinquishing his resistance, "You're mean…"

Urbosa smirked humorously, turning toward Revali next as her hands rested atop her hips, "Well?"

The Rito threw his hands up, beginning toward the linking group, "Don't bother, I'll entertain your petty machinations. I'd hate to know what your confidence is founded upon."

"I like to think I'm pretty good at reading people," Urbosa assured as she joined up, "Daruk, good, we'll need a solid anchor up front. Zelda and Mipha go next, then myself; if either of them go flying, I'll release my bonds and snatch them out of the air. After thank, Link and Revali, you two-"

"The Hylian goes next," Revali dryly ordered, shaking his head, "It'll allow me to take the longest possible stretch of cord between myself and him."

Link peered over his shoulder, "I look forward to dragging your plucked-naked body across the sands."

"You  _would_  like that, I'm sure," Revali declared with a miffed voice, something of a timbre hiding within his voice.

The Company formed up, with Revali ultimately remaining quite a ways away from the others, though still bound at the hip. Urbosa examined the others, yanking at the cord to test its steadiness while keeping an eye on the approaching sandstorm.

"Now, keep your heads down and your eyes shut. Except for Daruk, of course; you just keep trudging toward the cliffs," Urbosa instructed.

The Goron gave an unceremonious thumbs up, "First the Zora, now you all! The Gorons might as well be porters extraordinaire!"

Link and Mipha shared an unsure glance while Urbosa shook her head lowly, "Just- Aim for the cliffs."

"Aye aye," Daruk replied much more seriously, confidence lining his voice as he stomped off.

As the Company marched forward, Urbosa couldn't help but mutter under her breath with only Zelda in earshot, "These are so rare this time of year…"

Zelda turned to Urbosa with an uncertain expression as the two pressed on, the Company more resembling a chain gang than a troupe of Champions. Daruk gritted his teeth with determination as the massive, billowing cloud of sand approached, grumbling to himself as though in incantation, summoning strength from out within the nether.

"Here it is!" he shouted as the cloud of dirt blew into their faces, not nearly as forceful as they'd expected.

Link felt the resistance of churning winds blowing him backwards, nearly losing his footing if not for the line towed by Daruk keeping him in place. He looked ahead, catching only a faint glimpse of Zelda in front of Urbosa. Mipha and Daruk's existence now belonged merely to the line of cable disappearing into the dust cloud. Heeding Urbosa's advice, he lowered his head once again, sure to keep a hand in front of his head as he pressed on, goaded by the tow line yanking him forward with Daruk's every step.

"YEEEEAAAAAAAAGGGGGGH!" Daruk roared overtop the billowing winds lapping at their ears.

Link's hand grasped at the tow cable in front of him, pulling himself along, his eyes shut while simply willing himself to continue along with only that line for guidance. The sands swirling around them noticeably began to heighten in intensity, globules of stone and mud accompanying the sands, pelting Link's body like punches whenever a particularly large mass of earth smashed into him.

"BWAAAAR!" came another growl from Daruk, the Goron struggling to press against the furious winds, the Company slowing as he faced ever-increasing resistance.

Link lifted his head, carefully peering forward in inquiry, wondering what might have been hindering the-

HMMMMMMMMMMMGH

A massive, dull, mechanical hum broke the air, sending Link's eyes wide open in shock, still with a hand shielding his face. He turned to Urbosa, the Gerudo's shoulders suddenly squaring up in concern, her head whipping around to stare at Link with the same fear he'd had on his face. He turned in the direction where Vah Naboris had once been, finding nothing beyond the blanket of dirt, dust, and-

HMMMMMMMMMMMGH!

His eyes lifted to find two distinct clouds of blue light emerging from within the sand storm. His hand gripped the line tighter in worry, knowing what was to come next as-

THWOOOM!

A magnificent trembling shook the earth below as a gigantic foot slammed into the ground nearby, nearly knowing the entire Company to the ground. Urbosa quickly unshackled herself from the line, trudging back toward Link with an outstretched arm, yelling as loud as she could over the impeding storm.

"We can't advance like this! She'll crush us!"

Link turned over his shoulder, Revali having long been lost to the storm behind him, save for the constant tugging at the line beyond Link's hip, "Do we turn back?!"

"We must!" Urbosa declared, "If that thing starts shooting off lightning, at this proximity, I haven't a clue how well this helm can protect us!"

Link eyed her, "You said it would work!"

"It's a helmet! Not a goddamn miracle device!" Urbosa angrily challenged, "I'll make my way up to Daruk and let the others-!"

THWOOOOOM!

A closer stomping of innumerable tons of machine sent Link to the ground, leaving Urbosa only swaying back and forth before helping him back up. She turned to trudge up the line, yanking on it as hard as she could while she walked, trying to signal something, anything, to Daruk, to no avail. Her hair billowed in the wind as Link watched her press on, the taut feeling at the line behind him suddenly catching his interest. He turned back around in curiosity; it was almost as if Revali had cut himself free, leaving no pull behind Link, though in a split second, the shadowing form of a Rito blew through the clouds, Revali coursing through the sandstorm only to slide into the ground, unable to accurately gain any traction in the air.

Link watched as Revali forced himself back up, gritting his teeth as he turned toward the Hylian, scoffing with a shaking head, "Watch me, Hylian! Be in awe of my mastery of even  _this_  sky!"

Link's eyes widened, noticing that Revali was still tethered to the others. The Rito began throwing his arms up and down, working his way back up into the air as Link quickly scurried for his blade to cut the mad bird away from dragging the others every which way. At that moment, Urbosa voice broke through, catching him off guard.

"Stupid bird! The lightning will fry him to a crisp!" she cried out pithily.

Link's mind churned for only a moment, rushing up to where Urbosa was still progressing further along the line, yanking at the line to gain her attention and ultimately earning her pause.

"What?!" she shouted.

Link hadn't time to reply, simply taking his sword and slicing through the cord that had become his lifeline within the storm, but to Urbosa's horror, "What in the name of the gods are you doing?!"

A quick glance while tying the cord between him and Revali to his waist, Link quickly jolted a hand out and grasped the Thunder Helm dangling from around Urbosa's shoulder, the Gerudo immediately throwing her arms out to grapple Link before he could slide away, thanks to Revali's movement pulling him along.

"You fool!" she shouted angrily, though with some even keel through which some amount of respect for the man rested, "That hasn't touched the head of-!"

He voice trailed off as Link started running atop the desert sands, feeling his waist constrict with Revali's ever pulse of flapping wings. The cord began to rise as the Rito progressed higher still, eventually lifting Link from the ground as Vah Naboris grew in visibility, the blue lights surrounding its legs bursting through the grimy sands swirling around him. Link deftly pulled the Helm up to his chest, quickly wrapping the cord that had been freed between him and Urbosa around one of its horns. He eyed the space above him, where Revali must have been, his eyes burning as the sand blew into his face, lips tightening painfully, knowing he couldn't keep his eyes closed for what stupid action he was about to take.

As Revali took the two of them higher, Link's weight potentially masquerading as the storm's resistance itself, Link carefully watched the two massive bulbs of smoky blue light from atop Vah Naboris, the energy there beginning to collect into pools of sickly purple hues. Link gritted his teeth, the contracting rope at his waist seeming to be slicing him in half as he grabbed the cord with both hands, swinging the Thunder Helm in circles, preparing to throw it up toward Revali with the hope of countering the bolt of lightning meant for the Rito's foreign body.

The clouds of energy pulsed, the engines of the Beast revving up as Link readied himself, trying his best to work out the trajectory before-

HMMMMMMMMMMMGH!

A bolt of electricity shot out from the twin bulbs atop the Beast, shooting straight for where Revali must have been hidden within the sandstorm, leaving Link panicked as he took the Helm for another few rounds before letting it loose, the cord flying through the air as the Helm launched, losing itself in the sandstorm itself. Link watched in horror as the blue beams of electricity failed to leave their course, flying at Revali with reckless abandon, hitting their-

At the last moment, the bolts of lightning almost magnetically spun away, slamming into the Thunder Helm and sending that end of cord straight to the ground where Link began to tow it in as Revali seemed to reach the bottommost platform of the Beast, leaving Link dangling off the side, but with enough deftness to pull himself up once the Thunder Helm was once again safely in his possession. He took a moment to sigh with exhaustion as the sandstorm began to dissipate, almost as though in defeat as Vah Naboris accepted the visitors. Link jumped as he felt a tug pulling him up, Revali doing him the honor of helping him ascend, much to the relief of Link's newly aching muscles.

"You idiot!" Revali cried out, "I'd've made unmentionable time had I not been bound by you!"

Link peered upward at him, " _I'm_  the idiot?! You'd have been fried chicken if not for me!"

"The great god, Witwa, requires no Hylian to perform his will, you imbecile!" Revali challenged as Link pulled himself aboard, slidding across the oddly textured floor, unable to work himself up to his feet, "His will allowed me to-"

"Or it was  _this_?!" Link argued, dropping the Thunder Helm to the ground as he rolled onto his back, "I swear… I didn't sign up for this."

Revali fell to his backside as well, sitting against one of the ornaments lining the contraptions that made up the Divine Beast, "I signed up for nothing of the sort, either, Hylian. Had I known-"

"Had you known a Hylian would've had to save your ass?!" Link challenged, shaking his head, "Just- I have a rope in my pack. Tie it down and let the others climb up. I can't feel my legs."

"Pah, a truly Hylian setiment," Revali frowned before returning to his feet and doing as he was told.

Before collecting the rope, he stood above Link, staring off into the distance with a frown, allowing Link to watch him with confusion as he recovered, unsure what was causing Revali's sudden inaction. Ever so slowly, it became apparent.

"Thanks, I suppose…" Revali offered with a hot breath, quickly swooping down to collect Link's pack and walking off forcefully, shaking his head distastefully at such an utterance.

Link watched, still lost in deepening breaths, as Revali did as he'd instructed, leaving him with a cautious sigh before replying in kind, "You're welcome, I guess. No more stupid crap, though."


	15. The First Divine Beast, Vah Naboris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first point in the story where I'm really tinkering with the lore behind BotW, simply because the canon version offers more questions than answers- if you'd like a more detailed rundown, you can check out my Twitter, but beyond that, enjoy the chapter! :D

Link collapsed back to the metallic strut as the last of the Company, Daruk, ascended, needing the whole collective might of the other Champions to adequately pull him up the great height. With quick attentiveness, Mipha scurried to his side, though he was quick to wave her off.

"I'm fine, really," he assured, weakly, keeping a pressured hold atop his waist, "Nothing a month long bruise won't handle."

Revali cocked his head upward, "Pah, such an arrogant statement, to be sure."

Groaning, Urbosa returned dolly, "Like you wouldn't be in the same state were the roles reversed."

"I was destined to bear the wings of my people! There wouldn't ever be any roles to be reversed!" Revali easily retorted.

"Then you'd just invent some reason why succumbing to your injuries is the 'Way of the Witwiki' or whatever," Urbosa grumbled.

Revali's feathers curled distasteful, " _Witwa_ , you dolt. You'd best respect our gods, lest they make themselves known in the most discomforting of ways."

The two of them continued rambling as Mipha knelt down beside Link, to his shock, placing her hand atop his stomach where his had been resting. He watched her hand there for a moment, her red and white scales so contrasting with the light green cloth covering him, unable to keep his eyes from peering up toward her face for long, catching her eyes closed in such serenity, lips trembling in near-empty speech.

A brittle sort of warmth emerged beneath her hand, catching Link off guard as he returned his attention to her clutch, her hand now glowing a gentle golden hue. While he couldn't examine his skin, he could tell that his bruise was being soothed from existence, if only by so much. His head bolted up as Mipha let free the smallest of giggles, smiling in return.

"I told you years ago, I would allow nothing to harm you," Mipha confirmed softly, nearly whispering, "It might have been a promise between two young beings, but it was a promise nonetheless."

Link eyed her with curiosity, as if he'd had trouble recalling the promise she was citing, though he put on a confident face, inferring enough already that such a promise, however spur of the moment between children, was a rather magnanimous thing indeed.

"Thanks," he spoke up.

She smiled, "Feel any better? I'm afraid magic can only do so much when it comes to bruising ."

"Oh no, it's much better," Link nodded, suddenly feeling a pang of discomfort at the realization of just how intimate a setting the two of them were currently, silently thrilled that Urbosa and Revali were currently stealing the spotlight from the two of them, "Thanks. really."

Hoping his flat addition to his thanks would subtly request Mipha's departure, lest the two become the subject of someone's, mostly Daruk's, teasing, Link allowed a wave of relief over him as Mipha nodded, still smiling a bright lit smile as she stood back up, readying her trident that had fallen to the ground in her helpful surge. Helping Link to his feet, the two turned back to the others just as Zelda had finished breaking up the bicker-off between the most headstrong two of the Company.

"Alright, alright; you're  _both_  idiots if that's what it takes to even out this mess!" Zelda complained, "Now, we're here for a reason, on a surface tread upon by nobody in nearly a millennia. We're not about to squander this opportunity."

Revali nodded, spreading his arms in a bow, "Ah yes; let us never forget which of us made such a scare opportunity possible in the first place."

Frowning, Zelda muttered, "Look, I'm about five minutes from-"

"Entering scholar mode, yes," Link finished for her, earning him a glib stare from the Princess.

"Its  _not_  a mode- I-" Zelda quickly groaned, taking a pause to ready her words, "Don't you all realize just how magnificent this is? We're standing atop a machination of the most ancient of people, so vastly more advanced than ourselves. Think of the opportunity they hoped-  _prayed_  would be bestowed onto us."

Daruk dug his fists into his hips, nodding dramatically, "She does speak the truth! Quite the eloquent one she is, as well!"

Suddenly embarrassed, Zelda covered her face, "I- I'm not-"

With the warmth of a Goron, melted into tenderness, Daruk patted her shoulder, laughing boisterously, "Now is no time for shame. It is time for research, as you said! Seeing a Divine Beast this close- it  _does_  fill me with curiosity about Death Mountain's own creature of machine."

Zelda peeked out from her hands. It was as Daruk proclaimed: the time for curiosity, not embarrassment. She cleared her throat, digging into her satchel and pulling out her Shiekah Slate, much to the awe of some within the Company.

Handing it to Link, she instructed, "Alright. You are to follow me and record notes. Understood?"

Link shook his head, "No? I'm not even a part-"

"You're job is to protect me, correct?" Zelda asked with a wry smirk, "Then you must protect my thoughts and observations from leaving me."

The Knight narrowed his eyes, peering suddenly toward Urbosa, who'd done much the same not one hour ago, before grabbing the slate and frowning, "You two really are mean for doing that, you know."

Zelda smirked proudly anyway, patting her hands together before turning down the length of the strut that hung from the bottom of Vah Naboris, "Okay Champions. We explore now and ascertain this Beast's functions, capabilities, everything. Most importantly, we must find a way to manipulate this creature, should we need to."

"Like a pilot?" Mipha asked sincerely.

Zelda nodded, "Something like that. According to legend, these Beasts were used by the Sheikah to confront the most ancient of evils before being left to the primitive beings of the world. Some scholars assert that the Divine Beasts were created  _for_  the four peoples of Hyrule, but I believe it's the other way around. I believe the races of Hyrule came into their own as a result of the Beasts' presence- that is, your people were evolved for the Beasts, not the Beasts created for you."

Frowning at such an esoteric thought, Daruk stroked his beard, "Hold on. I'm confused."

"Just think about it," Zelda asserted easily, "The Sheikah couldn't have possibly known who that the Zora would sprout from those Lanayru waters. But they left Vah Ruta there, hoping that its life-giving properties would prove fertile for a race of beings who would one day be destined for its reigns. Same with the Gerudo, the Rito, and Gorons."

She nodded toward the Zora among them, "So who better than Mipha to pilot Vah Ruto? She has the eyes of a thousand generations upon her- countless years of understanding of that Beast that has bred her very people."

"Same with Urbosa and this Beast here," Zelda explained further, "My hypothesis is that, while they might resemble one another from a technological angle, there's something more to them, perhaps a fail-safe of some sort, that only their respective representative can keep in check. An energy field of something."

Still rather miffed, Daruk bowed his head, unable to make heads or tails on what was being said, though Urbosa was quick to offer up her own questions, running her hand along the ornate material covering the Beasts' interior, "So, what, how do we figure this out? I mean, I'm not about to blindly drive this thing into Gerudo Town, am I?"

"Well, that's the thing," Zelda confessed quietly, thoughtfully gripping her chin, "I mean, that's the whole point of this, correct? Learning how these things work, to begin with. but if the Sheikah truly expected such primitive beings to one day helm these Beasts, I'm sure a people as knowledgeable, and full of foresight, as them wouldn't make it terribly difficult to understand."

She began strolling down the strut that would ultimately lead up into the insides of the Beast, still in awe over the twisting, winding view of the desert surrounding her, "Let's just begin by making observations. Studying 101."

Daruk turned to Link, who was sliding a pocketbook from his satchel, lips curled unsatisfactorily at the idea of his knighthood having lead him to notation, the Goron sighing, "Man, you're lucky the Hylians don't have to worry about these things…"

"Oh, I'm sure we'll have plenty more to worry about, don't worry," Link groaned, "All those excavations to find so much Sheikah technology caused a massive uproar to begin with. I can only imagine what might happen if Zelda stumbles upon some new venture that drains the public stores. The reason Akkala's loyalty to Hyrule grew tense in the first place was that they were losing out on luxuries due to the excavations. It's how my father died."

Daruk frowned, eyes wide in realization, "S- I'm sorry, brother."

"It's no big deal," Link assured with a shrug, "I'm just hoping she knows what she's truly getting into is all. Zelda thinks this is all leading to a single end, but there's a million other repercussions to consider."

Urbosa charged in, her voice fierce, "Watch your words, knight. Your Princess is wise beyond her years. She understands what she's doing, as do I. The lives of so few living now is nothing compared to the innumerable lives left to walk this world who've yet to come."

"Easy for you to say," Link suddenly challenged, "Your family wasn't a part of those who died."

Readying his pack, slung over his shoulder, Link chewed at his lip, burying his head low before trudging along to catch up to Zelda, muttering quietly as he passed Urbosa, "Sorry."

She shrugged, "I understand. Just know that I consider my people to be my family. I wouldn't wish any harm on them, or anybody else, for that matter."

Link made his way after Zelda, out of earshot as the other Champions prepared to follow along as well. The downtrodden atmosphere lingered for only a moment before Urbosa turned to the others, crossing her arms and declaring rightly.

"Alright, perk up. We've got a Beast to figure out, and I've to learn how to drive it, apparently," she ended unsurely.

Revali cocked his head to the side, "Such an advantage you have with four legs. Vah Medoh will prove to be far more challenging a venture; no wonder we Rito strove to better ourselves to such massive aspirations!"

With a wry smirk, Urbosa retorted, "Best be on your guard, then. You won't have anyone to save if you crash the thing into your little stone tower over in Tabantha."

"How droll," Revali concluded sarcastically, following along as the Champions carried on atop the truss beneath Vah Naboris.

* * *

 

"Marvelous!" exclaimed Zelda as she further galivanted around the massive terminal that sat within the belly of Vah Naboris, "Absolutely exquisite! The thought, the planning-! I mean, it looks just like a shrine, doesn't it?!"

Examining it himself, with far less enthusiasm, Link shrugged, "I mean, I suppose?"

"It's just breathtaking! The amount of ingenuity that went into-! The Sheikah created an entire empire, and from the get go, they made everything so uniform!" Zelda observed, "Almost as if they were thinking ahead a millennia from their very inception! We don't deserve them!"

Link watched with waned enthusiasm as Zelda returned to the front of the device, whipping out her Sheikah Slate and matching it to the relief that sat inside the mechanism, "A perfect fit! See?! It's almost as if they made it easy for us! Everything of theirs is just so organized and makes sense!"

Warily so, Link scribbled down the words 'makes sense' on his small pad of paper, curling his lips faintly as Daruk's voice rang out from another end of the Beast's interior, "HEEEEY! WE FOUND ANOTHER ONE!"

"Another?" Zelda muttered in awe, "That's three total terminals so far, along with that massive one up front! So, let's speculate."

Link nodded sarcastically.

"We already know that all the shrines are connected, right? Ley lines beneath the ground. So, knowing what we know about how uniform the Sheikah seemed to be- What if all of these are connected?! Maybe all we do is get these smaller terminals up and running and then control them from the main terminal!"

She hurried to place the slate into the terminal, but to no avail, Zelda's lips still trembling excitedly, "Oh, the thought of it all! How exciting! Not a single textbook ever mentioned  _any_  of this, you know?!"

The wind surrounding the two of them broke open as Revali spun down from the ceiling, letting lose a unkempt gust before landing beside the two Hylians, "It is as Urbosa surmised. There is another terminal up on one of its columns."

"Four, then!" Zelda exclaimed, "Four! Gah lee, this is so incredible!"

Link noted aloud, "You're using your research diction again."

She frowned at the reemergence of a habit meant to have been broken, though Zelda still remained plastered to the console before her, unable to take her eyes off the thing. Revali gave a scrutinizing glance, musing aloud quietly in his curiosity.

"So you believe these machinations to be similar?"

"Absolutely," Zelda replied with a nod, "These stations seem to be a power grid, though I haven't the faintest how to activate them. I would postulate that each Divine Beast has a similar power grid within them; it's just a matter of activating them and, I would assume, wrangling control from the giant terminals that I would also believe to be within each Beast."

Revali crossed his arms, "For all our attempts at investigating Vah Medoh, we haven't caught the faintest glimpse of any such thing."

"What's keeping you, if I might ask?" Zelda inquired sincerely.

A curious clicking cane from the Rito's beak, "For all Vah Medoh does to assist us when it comes to wind currents, as well as cross pollination and the like, the Beast doesn't seem to enjoy being scrutinized by the people it watches over. Any attempt to rise and meet her only incurs the furious winds of Vah Medoh, preventing much of any interaction beyond prayers and smoke offerings."

Link rolled his eyes, "And we thought this camel of a Beast was terrible to ascend to…"

Smirking, Revali guaranteed, "You'll need far more ingenuity, dear Princess, if you wish for this task to reach its conclusion. Beyond the ease of Vah Ruta, as well, where your biggest obstacle will be the Zora oligarchy, you have Vah Rudania, the lizard-like being skittering around like a bug within the volcanic depths of Death Mountain."

Zelda sighed, dropping her head as her excitement left her, "Well, I certainly didn't  _mean_  for it to be known that I meant for us to explore Vah Naboris first, simply due to how perilous the others appear. Still, I am up for the challenge, most assuredly!"

"Besides," she went on, triumphantly, lifting a valiant fist into the air, "It seems as though the Sheikah were looking out for us! There must be a way to tame even your mechanical bird."

Revali nodded smugly, "Well, to perform such a feat would mark you greater than the greatest Rito to have attempted to board such a Beast. I suppose if you Hylians  _are_  descendants of the Sheikah, I suppose you  _might_  have an advantage."

Hiding a coy smirk at having something of a compliment blessed upon her by the headstrong Revali, Zelda went of examining the device as the others returned from their exploration, turning up nothing but the five terminals already having been discovered. Daruk had taken to shaking steps, having considered how high up they were and was quickly overwhelmed, though he had progressed considerably ever since he'd simply been seated, refusing to even stand. Urbosa and Mipha followed behind him, the latter of which quickly gave her report.

"We scoped out another terminal, however, it's atop Vah Naboris' head," Mipha concluded hopefully, "Were there any up above?"

Link replied as he continued his notation, diligently, "Yes, just one. That's a total of five terminals and a main line one."

"Oh! Did you draw a diagram?!" Zelda asked in a furious haste, earning her a piercing stare as Link's eyes peered overtop his notepad.

Nodding, he replied simply, "Of course. Where exactly was it?"

"Just underneath its head, it seems," Urbosa answered, stroking the dip of skin just beneath her chin, "I've seen it before, but didn't really think anything of it, honestly."

Mipha approached Link peevishly, sidling closer to him as she examined his handywork, finding a rather impressive looking diagram of the Beast, with each terminal pointed out in detail. Her eyes rested there pensively, her body not moving for long enough that she snapped awake, realizing how odd she appeared, and she pointed toward the diagram after Link's eyes had returned from their curious glance toward her.

"Uhm… Right about there," she spoke up quietly.

Link nodded, circling in the general area beneath Vah Naboris' head, "Alright, that should be all of them, then."

"H-Have we need of anything else here?" Daruk questioned skeptically, his trembling ever apparent.

For a moment, Zelda remained still, her lips curling inward thoughtfully before slowly allowing her head to dip up and down, "…yes, I suppose. I mean, there's obviously a power supply that is not the same as the supply powering the Beasts' movement, but-… I think, now, it would be beneficial to see how they're all similar. Especially since they seem to follow the same design, roughly- perhaps we'll figure something out with a different one. We've figured out so much with this one alone, though!"

At her words, Link slowly pulled his hand toward his chest, trying to conceal the notepad there before Revali clucked distastefully, charging a shout toward the knight, "Hey now; she's right, isn't she? Reveal it all to us, you mere scribe!"

A frown stretching across his face, Link grumbled silently to himself, shaking his head as he pulled his notepad back up, clearing his throat before going on, "Similar to shrines. Five terminals. One biggun."

"Biggun..?" Revali questioned with a haughty sort of curious air.

Zelda shuddered, recognizing one of those words often muttered during her 'phase', though without missing a beat, Link seemed all too prepared to take even a social hit for her, "Don't get riled up over your insufficiency of the finer points of Hylian."

"Tsh! For shame, scribe!" Revali darted back, "I'll have you know, my language comprehension is second to none! This 'biggun' you speak of- it is nothing of note!"

Urbosa shrugged, "I don't know; it came across perfectly clear to me."

Checking himself, Revali peered over toward Urbosa before dropping the matter, shrugging to himself before trudging off, leaving Daruk the open air to let loose his impatient, "D-Does that mean we can get off this- thing..? I fear my joint will turn into fault lines at this rate."

"Nah, you've done great so far," confirmed Urbosa, patting his arm, "You're not even clutching the columns for dear life anymore."

Daruk shuddered, "No, but I want to…"

Taking a quick breath, a nod came across Zelda as she replied, "I suppose we've gotten as much as we can glean so far, especially given that this is our first Divine Beast. There's so much more to learn, but- So long as Urbosa stands amongst her people, we won't have much issue in returning if need be."

Urbosa nodded, a worrisome glance toward Mipha, "Especially with a Zora present; it might be time to head on back. Judging by Vah Naboris' trajectory, we're just crossing the dune between Kara Kara and the entrance to the desert, anyway."

"Such a helpful creature!" Daruk sighed with relief.

Revali retorted, "Or perhaps it's simply sending us a message to leave it be and get out."

"If there  _is_  any trouble-," Urbosa grinned, patting her Thunder Helm before nodding toward Link, "Your recklessness is ill-placed sometimes, but at least you take some reservations. For that, I thank you for keeping this treasure untarnished."

Link shrugged, "I was just-"

"You know, for somebody with no investment in this venture, you sure do seem to contribute quite a bit," teased Urbosa with a wry grin.

Only a pithy glance met her.


	16. Bound By Duty, Chained By Fate

Daruk continued lifting handfuls of sand and spilling the endless supply of earthen material overtop his head, gasping happily at the prospect of being one with the earth once again. Being atop such an inorganic construction, as much as he was terrified of heights, he was also met with a sense of dread at being unable to feet the pulse of the land of Hyrule beneath his feet, a feeling that often quelled the cries of the youngest among his people. The sand itself was therapeutic in itself, and Mipha watched with amusement, though she was also transfixed by such an action that would have only thoroughly abbraised her own skin. Revali looked on with disgust, turning his head to prevent himself from further viewing the vile act.

"Can you please cut it out?" Revali asked impatiently, "Just knowing you're doing that is giving my feathers the quivers."

Daruk smiled, "I've seen birds clean themselves with sand before."

"Those lesser birds, perhaps; they haven't a sense of decency, which, seemingly, also applies to  _you_ ," Revali complained.

Zelda turned with a worried look, though Daruk simply laughed Revali's words off, "Fear not; I've gotten used to his brash nature by now. I've already ascertained that it's just how he decides to be friends."

"Pfft- Wha-?!  _Friends_?!" Revali challenged with a suddenly perplexed expression of fright, "You just bathed in sand, treaded upon by the  _multitudes_  of feet and-! Gah! The thought of it- The  _nerve_!"

Revali's shoulders fell inward as he squirmed in disgust, only leaving Daruk to laugh, raising his arms in a mighty shrug, "I suppose you wouldn't understand; there's nothing quite like feeling anchored to Hyrule itself. These lands sat here for millenia, even before Farore's breath of the wild covered these lands; it's as though I'm so much closer to that primordial goo that I'm sure was so nice and toasty…"

"Goo…" Revali reacted with disdain, "Yech…"

Grinning widely at the effect he was having, Daruk shrugged pithily, curling his lips in anticipation before going on, "Nothing beats a mud bath, though. Especially in the geyser pits- Link, my sworn brother, even you partook, did you not?"

Quickly catching onto Daruk's game, Link agreed easily, "You mean the one with the oozy sort of grimy mud?"

"Yes!" Daruk laughed, "You'd been so intensely covered- We couldn't tell you from another Goron! Well, perhaps a younger Goron with less stone on your hide."

Link turned to Mipha, catching her hiding a laugh behind a hand, shooting her a wink, "The Zora are the masters of ooey gooey though, right?"

"Please!" Revali shouted, "Knock it off!"

Amusedly enough, Mipha nodded with a half-broken giggle, "Oh, if you thought the gekari gel was potent- we have the most viscous, slide into your pores-"

"GAH!" Revali cried out loud, turning to the others with his beak nearly in a tizzy, "By the grace of Witwa alone am I holding back my plumage! Cut it out!"

The three troublemakers shared a laugh as Revali covered his head with his arms, shaking himself back and forth in withdrawal, muttering to himself, "Gah; the stuff of nightmares…"

"Alright, everyone," Urbosa commanded, waving a dismissive hand, "It's been a long day for us all; just cool it down a bit. We'll make camp right at the desert's entrance, where we were last time, alright?"

The others, besides Revali, agreed affirmatively while Urbosa took a deep breath, taking in the day's events, never dreaming she would be aboard the Divine Beast who'd been so familiar to the Gerudo, and yet, so incredibly foreign. It seemed so much a microcosm of the Sheikah themselves- wholly foreign, and yet their continued influence within the world remained inexplicably familiar to the peoples of Hyrule.

"So, I suppose it needed to be brought up at some point," Daruk suddenly spoke up with a curious tone, "Where to next?"

As though she hadn't given it much thought at all, Zelda bowed her head in thought, scratching her head, "W-Well… I suppose for geography's sake, Tabantha  _is_  closer. Though, as Revali has said, I'm note sure we're ready for that. Besides Tabantha, I suppose Lanayru would be the next logical step, would it not?"

Frowning, Mipha spoke up, "I suppose it would be easy to think such a thing, but- Vah Ruta is not merely revered, but worshipped. Even if I were to convince my father to allow us access, I'm not entirely sure my people would be privy to such an action."

"How do you mean?" Zelda wondered aloud.

Mipha took a breath, "Vah Ruta is not merely a machine that spews water. It quite literally  _creates_  water. Not only are you talking about what might as well be hallowed ground, you're talking potential contamination, and given the makeup of this Company, you're also teetering on racial conflict. Hylians, alone…"

Link watched curiously as Mipha's voice fell out of existence, her head dipping low, almost in shame, as she spoke those words. Zelda nodded in understanding, knowing that Hylian/Zora relations weren't exactly well to do, though she began to consider options to quell those tensions.

"Bah; well they've always had a problem with us Rito," Revali suddenly interjected with a sneer, "I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't allow a single footfall of mine to enter their precious water world up there."

"Mipha does have a point," Zelda noted aloud, doing her best to gather everybody's attention, "Vah Ruta would be just as difficult from a religious perspective to a political one. There's no guarantee she can earn her father's sway, thinking of the potential fallout."

Daruk crossed his arms, "So, Vah Rudania?"

Chuckling heartily, Urbosa admitted, "I don't even know if  _I'm_  ready for that one, Goron, much less the others. Again, we've to think of Mipha if we are sticking to this Company. So far as I know, that's non-negotiable."

"Correct," Zelda affirmed, "If any one of us is not present, it'll only open the door for future conflict- what with people complaining about where blame or praise ought to be shared."

Daruk nodded pensively, "Perhaps, once we learn enough about these things, I may be able to pilot the Beast to a milder climate."

"That's an idea," confirmed Zelda, nodded to herself, "But again, that would leave us choosing between Ruta and Medoh."

Link's eyes narrowed as they followed the horizon, his face dropping with a droll expression, "Well, either way, you'd better make it fast… Look."

The others looked ahead toward the desert entrance, Zelda's face spinning in confusion as she noticed the distant image of Captain Ruzoll atop his horse, alongside a small battalion of horsemen. She kept a silent stare, as if unsure whether or not he was actually there, broken only by the solemnly tender voice of Mipha.

"Who's Captain Ruzoll?"

"My commanding officer," answered Link, unknowingly brushing his shirt to remove any impurities, "My orders are from King Bospheramus himself, but Captain Ruzoll's word holds just as much sway. My liege all but loaned me from his command."

Mipha gasped ponderously, knowing her father's word was all but gospel, "Whoa, he must be pretty important, then."

"Sounds like a means toward confusion to me," Urbosa observed with a smirk.

Revali rolled his shoulders, "Finally something we all can agree on. Bureaucracy amidst the Kingdom of Hyrule's ranks has always been a loathsome endeavor."

"It also has allowed us mastery over most of these lands, thank you," Link replied haughtily, proud of the heritage he was bred into.

Urbosa turned her head over her shoulder, "So you take an order from your King, to protect the Princess. What if this Ruzoll asks you to hold a sword to her n-"

"He wouldn't do that!" Zelda proclaimed nervously.

Assuredly, Urbosa chuckled, "It's merely an example to, as Revali would say,  _expose the absurdity of layered administration within a martial cadre_."

His intrigue suddenly piqued, Revali's plumage fluttered," There may be hope for you yet, Gerudo."

Urbosa grinned at the compliment, turning to watch Link only to find him with a regretful look as he dropped his head, "…he wouldn't do that. They don't just pick and choose who gives orders."

"Uh huh; I understand that," Urbosa shrugged, "But if he  _did_."

Link stared at the ground, a moment passing in silence before he answered, "I suppose my ties to Captain Ruzoll are to be upheld to the utmost respect."

"So you'd do it?" Mipha asked.

Chuckling, Urbosa answered for her, "Consider yourself lucky to have no like conflicts among your people. Administration is a chore, anyway."

Link chewed at his cheek, recognizing the quandary that Urbosa proposed, even if in only hypothetical terms. That said, knowing Ruzoll better than anybody else among the Company, Link understood that the man shouldn't even be here at the moment, unless sent, off assignment, by the King himself. He kept his eyed peering up ahead as Ruzoll's small party came further into view, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I wasn't aware that we could have standing armies this deep into Gerudo lands," Zelda spoke up curiously, turning toward Link, who returned with only silence.

Weighing his options for a brief few moments, while also incurring the sudden curiosity among the others, Link finally answered, "We aren't."

Urbosa shrugged, "Do they know of our venture?"

"I mean, well- sort of?" Zelda answered unsurely, "My father seems apprehensive about letting word of this mission slip… Probably ashamed of his daughter's potential to ruin his reputation."

Daruk grumbled in reply, "Well that's just silly! We've learned so much from this one venture alone!"

"That's just my interpretation, anyway," Zelda admitted, "Ruzoll caught us before we all met at the Sanadin Park to bring me the slate, but- Father had only told him we were cataloguing flora and fauna. It seems he'd rather I chase flowers than legends."

"Can you not blame him?" Revali shrugged, "The leader of the Kingdom of Hyrule already rules on a teetering slope. With such vast territory and influence, your Kingdom persistently gains the ire of many, if not all, radical factions around the lands. The Yiga and Afeigu, to name only two of the Sheikah factions; and I know the Corsairs, among my own tribe, represent a rather radical war-hawking perspective. Were they to believe the King was off on flights of fancy, or worse, an arms race, that might give them better reason to rally support beneath the banner of his inability to continue leading."

Urbosa frowned, "Doesn't help that a warmonger King scorched these lands not a few generations ago."

"Th-This is all speculation, of course," Zelda assured the others, although with a nervous sort of uncertainty, "Perhaps Ruzoll was awaiting our return so that they could give us a rest. I mean, they did bring plenty of horses from the looks of it."

Link caught Urbosa's worrisome glance aimed toward him, aiming a particularly dreadful look of his own back toward her. Whatever the case might be, Link knew already that it wasn't to be anything good, thankful that Urbosa was not reactionary enough to turn whatever it might be into an incident that couldn't be returned from.

"Ruzoll!" Zelda shouted as they closed the gap, doing her best to lace her shaky timbre with the same happiness that had once accompanied her in greeting the man.

The Captain nodded in acknowledgement, though failed to reply in kind, leaving the Company even more mournful.

"Gah," Revali groaned, dropping his face into his hand, "One more obstacle to keep us in these dry lands even longer…"

Zelda was quick to interject, "No, wait! He's always on the stern side; don't read into his lack of a response! Besides-!"

She cleared her throat as she yanked her belt upward, " _I'm_  the Princess! I hate to pull rank at a time like this, but-!"

Her eyes caught Link shaking his head, silently noting to the others that, indeed, this was a power that Zelda lacked, leaving her with a frown as she insisted, "Hey, my word  _should_  match my father's."

"But it doesn't," Link affirmed plainly, not in the mood to humor her.

The callous response seemed to send a pang of worry through Zelda as well, her spine tingling as she returned forward, allowing a more scrutinizing stare to meet Ruzoll's own band of armored soldiers. Finally closing in far enough for her voice to be heard at it's normal volume, Zelda hastily rounded the mound of rock that prevented cart-drawn horses from crossing the border between the desert and canyon, her voice echoing as Ruzoll's stern glare followed her.

"Ruzoll," she acknowledged cordially enough, dipping her head respectfully, "What is the meaning of this? Have you brought news from my father?"

Ruzoll's horse, Wauf, chugged in placed, whining sorrowfully in premonition as his master yanked at his reins to steady the beast, "Let's just wait until your little Company arrives as well."

"Little?" Zelda retorted in confusion, catching his condescension, "Ruzoll, this Company aspires to bring the whole of Hyrule together! This is not some-"

"I'm quite aware, child," Ruzoll interrupted with a sharp tone, quickly returning to one of instruction, "Your father told me what you're up to. After advising him, and the two of us discussing this issue at great depth, he decided this was best."

Zelda's brow furrowed worriedly, " _What_  is best..?"

Ruzoll's eyes raised up once the others rounded their way to Zelda's side, their expressions ranging from confusion to frustration to contemplation on Link's part. Yanking his reins to pull Wauf to the side, making his presence more imposing, Link understood, Ruzoll turned his head to stare down at the group of Champions.

Revali sneered, crossing his arms, "So what is this?! You've no reason to cause any impediment."

As if in challenge, Ryzoll dropped his brow in fierce resolve, "By degree of King Bospheramus Hyrule, your Company is to be escorted  _back_  to Hyrule Castle to be debriefed and then dispatched back home."

"Back?!" Zelda cried in confusion, "But-!"

"You are to continue your studies in the safety of the castle's libraries, Princess," Ruzoll noted plainly, "We cannot allow your trivial adventures to reflect poorly on our Kingdom, regardless of however many notable companions you can hope to convince."

He eyed the others, namely Urbosa and Mipha, "We must ensure that they understand that you've been following what amounts to fairy tales before allowing them to return to their lands."

"Pfft," Ufbosa scoffed, her face turning distasteful atop crossed arms, "The Princess has offered more sense and understanding in any number of seconds than you've just spewed in the last few minutes."

Quickly thinking, Zelda turned to Link, stomping over toward him and slipping his pocket book from his pack, unabated, before throwing her hand up toward Ruzoll , "Look! See! Does that not look like research?!"

Ruzoll sighed, almost sadly, before reaching out and gently taking the notepad, examining it for a moment before sliding it into his armor, leaving Zelda terrified, "H-Hey!"

" _My_  King's word is law, Princess-  _Your_  father's word," he instructed sternly, "You'd be best to remember that. If you continue to put your own pursuits over Hyrule's best interests, perhaps you  _are_  still a child."

His dry, callous manner brought Ruzoll his desired effect, leaving Zelda wholly miffed, knowing this man to be kne of her father's most notable advisors. She dropped her head before stepping back into the line of Champions, earning Urbosa's worried glance as Revali immediately sputtered to challenge the man before them.

"Well don't just subvert yourself!" he declared toward Zelda before turning to Ruzoll with a frustrated tone, "Listen Hylian, I haven't an iota of respect for your position; your command ends as soon as you leave this earth! Now, I've spent enough time amongst these questionable individuals to warrant my waxing interest in completing this quest, and I'm  _not_  about to allow you to stand in our way!"

Ruzoll stared Revali down without a moment's hesitation, one of his soldiers openly jeering, "We've done been briefed 'bout you, bastard bird. Hold your beak to the ground and shut it!"

In a blink of an eye, Revali charged toward the soldier, with Ruzoll's voice shouting in untempered command, "Link!"

Before Revali could close the distance, Link sprang toward him, grappling his arm and yanking him backward, earning the vitriolic ire of the Rito, Revali's words spewing like a venomous snake, "I will peck out your very eyes if you do not release me!"

Link remained unfazed, simply pulling Revali into his chest and sharing an intense stare, as though trying to communicate something silently to the unkempt man. Ruzoll grumbled to himself before turning atop his saddle, barking at his men.

"Please do not antagonize them. When you wear that Crest upon your breast, your very words and actions are tied to our Kingdom just as well," Ruzoll ordered, shaking his head in distaste, "Link, take care to ensure this Rito doesn't cause any trouble."

Nodding, Link immediately answered, "Yes sir."

Revali huffed angrily as Link released him, though remained at his side even as the Rito shot him a terrible stare. Mipha looked on with worry as Daruk grabbed her shoulder, more to remind himself not to cause a fuss as well. He gritted his teeth at Link's subservience, though understood his brother's situation all the same, choosing to remain benign himself, lest he cause more trouble for the man.

Ruzoll spun Wauf around, beginning off toward the canyon as he finished, "This should be a pleasant enough journey should you all come willingly. That said, I haven't a problem binding the lot of you, if need be. I don't want any more trouble than any of you do."

"Sounds like the only trouble has been manufactured by  _your_  King," Urbosa challenged pithily, earning a glare from Ruzoll himself.

Ruzoll stretched his shoulders backward, "I know enough of your penchant for trouble. You'll be the first to feel the steel of our cuffs, I have no doubt."

Knowing he was merely showing off for his men, Urbosa snickered, taking the compliment that she was more dangerous, even while calm, than the furious Revali, who was still trembling with concealed fury. Wauf led the way with a wary gait, followed by the Company and, finally, Link and Ruzoll's men.

The journey had ended, no sooner than it had begun.


	17. Downpour

Link held his head low, not so much for shame but to avoid any critical glares that might come his way. He hadn't much in the way of qualms when it came to deferring the Company's mission in favor of his knightly duties, but still, in the days he'd spent with those Champions, he couldn't help but feel some sense of camaraderie that now tugged at him.

The unit of soldiers had brought Zelda's Champions through the canyon and now took the route through the southern portion of Hyrule Kingdom, familiar enough lands to be sure. Still, as nice as it should have been to see, Zelda remained with a bitter taste in her mouth at how she was being treated, by her own father no less. So determined had she been to burst from her protective cocoon and make her own trail in the world, but now with this vice around her, brought on by her father, she felt a frustration within her, akin to rebelliousness, though knew she hadn't a choice to comply.

She lifted her head to watch the Champions, guilt-ridden that they'd been caught up in this mess of her own inadvertant design. She couldn't thank them for their compliance, simply curling her brow sadly as they came along willingly, even if with various degrees and frustrations among their own selves. Revali continued giving the soldiers around him verbal beatings whenever he could, his face seemingly permanent in its scowl, probably even more belligerent at the idea of visiting Hyrule Kingdom itself. Zelda wondered how hurt he might have felt, deep inside, that were this situation more serious, he likely wouldn't have a single Rito coming to his aid. She couldn't help but feel heart-broken at the thought.

"Even your mother wouldn't come and save you," Zelda could hear the snivelings of his countrymen with sorrowful tones.

Urbosa, while upset herself, carried on as she normally would, her hands buried into her pockets as she did her best to remain bolstered by perseverance. As the one most familiar with Hyrule Kingdom, and especially with the King himself, Zelda figured she mustn't have had much in the way of worry. This was just another trip to the castle, perhaps, even if it was cutting into a cause that Urbosa had taken personally, even if, initially, only at Zelda's insistence. Maybe she was taking the same stance as Zelda- feeling more for the others than herself.

For his own part, Daruk was the most weary about the ordeal, partially caused by his inability to clarify the situation and better understand Hyrule Kingdom at large. He wanted no trouble for his sworn brother, and yet, he so desperately wanted to ask Link so much, particularly his allegiances, even if he knew that Link was a knight through and through. Beyond that, as a Goron, Daruk hadn't exactly been in a situation as this before. He wasn't entire sure if there were some etiquette to being escorted by soldiers or if there were things he should be doing. He failed to ask, however, simply watching the others to find them reacting more or less as though little had changed.

Mipha, on the other hand, couldn't take her eyes of Link. They weren't the eyes of a unrequited admirer, but of somebody confused, trying to understand. There was a sorrowful nature about those eyes as well, Mipha silently wondering what must be going through Link's mind at the moment. She had sparred with him often in the past; she knew how postures, his cadences- these were the things observed by an unrequited lover. However, now, she only watched him carry himself with such stringency, as though he were forcing himself to remain proper.

"Just tell me," Zelda spoke up with deliberate accusation, "How ashamed of me is my father?"

Ruzoll grumbled, "He's not ashamed, child; you know that. He's always enjoyed your imaginative side."

"So it's just imagination now, isn't it?"

He returned, "You must understand how this might appear to the other people of Hyrule. Especially as the heiress to the crown, you have a responsibility to look upon this situation with the lens of a queen. When your mother walked this earth, you had her succession to hide behind, but now,  _you_  are your father's successor. You shan't squander that duty."

"I'm doing  _everything_  I can to protect, not only my future subjects, but  _everybody_  in Hyrule!" Zelda challenged passionately, though Ruzoll remained unfazed.

He shook his head, "Princess, I've been at your father's side ever since you were born. You're very much the daughter I never had. I say this to you as a guardian, who would give his own life for yours. You mustn't treat this as-"

The old man's voice faded away, unable to speak what he thought to be too harsh for her, though Zelda was quick to finish for him, "What, as some stupid little game?"

"Princess-"

Zelda bit back, "I bet if I had said I'd gone to one of the castle's spirit callers to learn of Hyrule's fate, you'd listen to me."

Shrugging, Ruzoll admitted, "To be fair, that  _would_  lend some credibility to your endeavor. Still, some tale heard from a fortune teller  _or_  spirit caller would still look bad to the prying eyes of the outside world."

He turned to the others, "No offense."

"No prying here," Urbosa shrugged, "Since you've done us the courtesy of not wrangling us up like dogs, I suppose."

Revali's voice seethed, " _Us_?"

Almost inquisitively, Urbosa turned to the chains wrapped around the Rito's wrists, having been deemed too much of a flight risk, literally, by Ruzoll's men. She knew they were there, only feigning confusion to prod at the feathered man.

"Oh, how about that," she mused in surprise.

He growled, jerking his arms up and down in discomfort, "Stupid- They hurt!"

Zelda turned around, reaching out to his metal bonds with a shake of her head, carefully working them loose, "I'm sorry my people are treating you like this, Revali."

He snapped his beak, shooting a fierce glare toward the nearest soldier, "I'll make sure they remain alive while I-"

"Revali…," Zelda interrupted with a pleading tone, dropping her head regretfully.

He seemed to catch her begging him to quit resisting, if only to stop his continued restraining. Revali scoffed but otherwise remained quiet as Zelda did her best to loosen the bonds as best she could, holding back tears of both frustration and anguish.

"We'll get back to the castle and I'll get us out of this," she assured lightly.

Urbosa sighed, "My dearest, I don't think-"

"I will!" Zelda retorted with a bite to her tone, taking Urbosa off guard as she pulled away from Revali's relieved wrists, returning to her original form as they walked across the Hyrule plains, her head falling low, "I will…"

Frowning, Urbosa let the issue go, pained by the toll this was clearly having on the Princess. She rubbed her arm unsurely, taking in the sight of the ever-increasing panorama of Hyrule Kingdom coming into view as they further approached the town that rested at the foot of the castle. More and more Hylians were peppering the landscape, most of them with confused expressions at the strange arrival of a conglomeration of races being escorted along. Ruzoll did his best to quell any curiosity by simply nodding in the directions of any observers, though it did little to turn away their eyes.

"I'm a little bit nervous," Daruk finally admitted, "Boldon's not gonna be happy about this."

"Boldon?" questioned Urbosa.

Daruk shook his head, "He's the tour guide of Goron City. He's always preaching, 'Oi! You're representing our entire people with your mere presence!'. I hope I'm not turning anybody off by being surrounded by guards…"

"Well, at least you're not bound," Urbosa offered with a pithy tone, "They'd best be steering clear of the Rito as a whole with Revali's appearance."

Revali sneered, "Good. Less troubles in Tabantha."

Chuckling at the thought rising in her head, Urbosa replied in jest, hoping to lighten the mood, "When we get out of this, we'll stage something in Hyrule Town, perhaps. Have Revali stand over my bolognese sauce-d body as I lay dead in the streets. Might as well do him that honor."

Ruzoll turned his head over his shoulder to glance at the Champions, his droll eyes narrowing unenthusiastically, "Let's not cause a scene, please."

Urbosa shrugged, "Just saying…"

The commander cocked his head in Link's direction, "Keep an eye on her, too."

Link nodded in reply, his gait carrying him into the conglomeration of Champions to better orient himself between both Revali and Urbosa, the Gerudo woman laughing humorously at Ruzoll's ridiculous request, not to mention assertion that she might be a danger. Remaining wholly rigid in his posture, Link did his best to avoid the eyes of the others, his attention jolting as Mipha's hand took his arm, forcing his head to whip to the side.

She spoke up quietly, "What's to become of us?"

Easily, Link answered, "They're going to release you all in due time, just-"

"Not when we're done- I mean now," Mipha spoke in uncharacteristic forcefulness, "Poor Daruk is about to have a fit of tremors."

"He'll be fine," Link assured, "He's a Goron. He knows no harm will come to him."

"Does he?" Mipha challenged, earning her a peculiarly confused glance from Link.

He frowned, "Mipha, what's gotten into you? The Zora are just as mindful of their military as the Hylians are; you should understand better than anybody else."

"We understand discretion, even among duty," she explained in heated exchange.

Link stared at her, his voice lined with strain as he struggled to keep his words subdued, "I have  _nothing_  but duty! I wasn't born a prince or even a commoner. My mother was a knight, as my father was as well; I wasn't brought into this world, I was bred into it, like a dog. I have nothing but duty to the people for whom I was bred to serve."

"You have  _us_ ," Mipha reminded, "Even excluding loose definitions- By the goddess, you and Daruk are brothers! I would give up all the gold in the world for  _my_  brother."

He shook his head begrudgingly, "That won't change things. I'm bound to my fate. Being a knight was the only thing I was ever good at. We're trained to ignore the deaths of our comrades- to move on. I watched my mother die in my arms, and not once did I shed a tear. I'm a far better soldier than I'd be anything else."

Mipha's brow furrowed in sorrow as Link's lips twisted, trying to hold back his own frustrations, "So don't tell me I have anything else."

Her face burned at his self-deprecation, so desperately wanting to prove to him how wrong he was, her voice appearing with a pleading timbre, "How can somebody as strong as you be so weak and subservient to this fate of yours?"

Link didn't reply as the two continued along within the circle of soldiers surrounding them. Ruzoll's head had been peering over his shoulder, having caught their discussion at his ear, and holding his tongue just long enough to finally feel a pang of guilt.

"Link, up here," he ordered with a paternal air, earning a jolting acknowledgement as Link's head turned toward him.

He nodded, "Yes sir."

The knight took a single stride forward before Mipha took his arm, requiring little strength to keep Link near as he came to a sudden halt, spinning around to find Mipha's eye ever-deepening as though she were lost. He matched her expression with one of confusion, unable to ascertain what it was she was wanting, almost begging, herself to say. Her lips trembled for but a moment before pulling inward in worry.

"I love you," she finally admitted in hasty speech, Link's eyes growing wide in surprise as her grip tightened around his arm.

"Link!" repeated Ruzoll impatiently.

The man's ears could not have heard him anyway.

Mipha's face furrowed, aswirl with determination forcing its way through her nerves, "If I can muster the strength to admit  _that_ , why can't you do the same?"

Link's wide eyes refused to pull away, lost in the shock of what had just been said, only broken by the sudden barking of Ruzoll, who's voice immediately shook the very air surrounding the troupe, "LINK!"

In an instant, Mipha's spell had broken, leaving Link spinning toward his commander, allowing Ruzoll to drop his head to stare at him with renewed seriousness, his voice reiterating, "Up here.  _Sir_."

This time, as Link slowly strode away, Mipha allowed her grip to soften, watching Link evaporate from her grasp while he turned his head over his shoulder, taking another lingering glance toward her, his heart growing stagnant, unsure of what to do or even how to do it. Still, he remained in control of enough faculties to know that his commanding officer's word was of the utmost importance, leaving him to sway forward, his gait wholly unsteady as he pressed on.

Mipha clutched her hand against her chest, terrified that her action, made in the heat of the moment, would now have wrought trouble for the man whom she'd loved for years. While most of the Champions went on pretending not to have heard, Zelda's eyes found Mipha, watching her anguished expression with astonishment.

Amidst the shaking atmosphere surrounding the group, Link came to Ruzoll's side, the commander keeping his head up in a show of authority, his eyes winced as he glanced toward the mighty Hyrule Castle just above the silhouette of the nearby town.

"When we arrive, I want you to report to Dagan for your debriefing. You are then to return to your quarters. Understood?" Ruzoll instructed, keeping his head aloft, even as Link's eyes turned up to him in pleading, "I don't want any more trouble than what  _they_  will cause already. You'll remain there until I say."

Link's chest reverberated with a chorus of emotions, some wholly foreign to him, but he ultimately lowered his head, taking in a breath as a vision of Mipha flashed across his mind.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Link listened to the cacophony of steps being taken by visitors and townspeople alike as he stared out the window of his childhood home, his brow sunken in regret while he took in what the day's events had brought. He wasn't able to clear the thought of Mipha's words from his mind; the sentiment she had wrought nearly haunting him in its all-encompassing pervasiveness.

He looked down at his journal, having grown in his knighthood to be the most reliable mirror into his own thoughts, reciting the words he had written there not moments earlier. They appeared so jumbled in his mind's bedraggled state, forcing him to speak those words aloud to himself if only to comprehend their meaning.

"Beyond that, I have another problem-"

He drew a sharp breath.

"I do believe I have fallen in love with her."

The skin at the back of his neck tingled with an intensity he hadn't felt even on during combat. He breath, so readied to prepare himself for those words, now shook with uncertainty, his mind lost on how foreign such a thing was. He didn't even look at women, not in  _that_  way, but that night the two of them had shared a swim, he-

He was nearly terrified. Frightened of the thought of sharing anything more than that swim with anybody. Did he love her in return, truly? Surely that would mean sharing responsibilities, sharing time, energy, effort- all the things the Royal Guard had required of him. He knew he was certainly attracted to her- such a rather unbecoming thing already. but it wasn't solely her lithe, toned body that took his attention; it was her determination and strength, hidden so skillfully beneath her aura of kindness. It was her gentleness, so well coupled with her ferocity when the situation called for it.

But her skin, so tender and cold. He could feel it as though he were back within those waters of the oasis all over again. It felt so pleasant now beneath his nervous fervor, almost calming him with its cool touch even with Mipha being gone.

That's right. She was gone.

Link's eyes jumped back up through his window, watching the same Hylians he'd sword to protect. whom he'd been born, bred, to protect.

Could he do the same for Mipha? The one person he  _had_  loved had died on his watch.

Could he protect her from himself? from his insecurities, from his duty to Hyrule Kingdom?

He released a shaking breath, shaking his head as he fell into his chair, running a hand across his face with exhaustion, not prepared for such a quandary. He'd never known how to love; not outside of his love of country, anyway. Were he to allow himself to submit to such a thing… to whom would his duty, his loyalty, be bound to?

Slowly reaching into his pocket, he ceased for a moment, staring once more at the line he had jotted down in his journal, before gradually sliding a separate pocketbook from his pocket than the one Ruzoll had taken, this one never meant for the eyes of anybody else. As Link flipped through the pages, he caught glimpses of the pages within, roughly drawn sketches, by his own hand, mostly of the same plants and animals that Zelda had dragged him around to find. but some were people he'd run into during his travels, most of them simply sketched from memory after the fact.

Near the end of the collection, where a sizable number of blank pages remained thereafter, Link's eyes fell upon a rough drawing he'd made of Mipha from that night. His eyes shook as his stare grew intense, following the strokes his pencil had once made, envisioning himself following those very same lines with his hands atop Mipha's own body, staring into those eyes of hers that wore all of the emotions that Link, himself, was too afraid to wield.

Was this love? this feeling that seemed to strangle him through his chest without a thing there to squeeze. He allowed his eyes to wander back up toward his journal once more, his mind awash with such ideas, but as they ebbed and flowed, the one constant in his mind was always Mipha. He didn't care about whatever mission, or the fate of the world beyond his own part of it.

But he cared about  _her_. Might  _she_  become a part of that world?

Such a thought left him there, despondent; ill-equipped to challenge these emotions that flooded over him.


	18. Leap of Faith

Daruk rubbed his hands together, examining the interior of the castle with awe as he stood beside his companions, "I guess it isn't so bad. I thought we would be treated like criminals."

"The Princess is  _right_  beside you; what exactly made you think we'd be imprisoned?!" Revali inquired with disbelief, not noticing the jingling at his wrists as he remained enchanted.

Poignantly enough, Daruk's eyes fell toward Revali's bindings, the Rito glibly scoffing g as he turned away knowingly, though Daruk still offered his suspicions, "I mean, they  _did_  put  _you_  in-"

"I know, I know!" complained Revali with a heated breath.

The Champions had been taken through the castle and into the main hall, where King Bospheramus was to arrive shortly, leaving the group with little more to do than examine these new surroundings, given that they were still underneath the watchful eyes of Ruzoll and his men. Daruk had been the most astounded, having never been within many houses, much less a castle, and his head remained upturned as he followed the endless columns and buttresses that held up the mighty ceiling above, almost in defiance of the gravity itself.

He turned toward Zelda for further questioning, "Hey! What kind if rock comprises these walls?"

Still deftly annoyed by the situation, Zelda her best to oblige in a kind enough tone, "I'm not sure; you'd have to ask one of the historians."

Daruk snapped a finger in defeat, earning him a scoff as Revail's eyes rolled into his head dramatically, "Why don't you just  _lick_  it and tell us?"

For a moment, the Goron remained remiss, though as the idea mulled around in his head, his face narrowed determinately, leaving Urbosa to sigh, shaking her head, "Please don't ."

"T'would make for an interesting party trick. Perhaps those buzzards over there would be impressed," Revali shrugged, shooting his upturned beaks toward the nearby soldiers.

With a sigh, Urbosa plead behind a sarcastic voice, "Let's at least maintain  _some_  decorum. I know this crew couldn't be any more of the motley variety, but perhaps we can give Zelda  _something_  proud to defend."

Zelda grotto her teeth, her lips tensed with determination, "I would be proud even of a band of cuckoos if they were in service to the future of Hyrulr."

Her face immediately falling with shame at the sight of Daruk, the Goron scratching the nearby wall only to bring it up for a taste, nodding to himself attentively as though tasting g a fine wine, Urbosa turned to Zelda with a dismayed expression, "Could you go less than a pack of cuckoos..?"

Groaning, Zelda turned away from the others, strolling away to where Mipha had planted herself, seated against the wall. The Princess grumbled to herself something unintelligible, though still vitriolic, as she fell beside Mipha, crossing her legs in her seated position while frowning.

"I'm sorry about all this," Zelda confessed, still with anger in her voice, "I don't mean to bother you. I just needed get away from the others. I know they mean well, or at least Urbosa does, but I'm in no mood for a lighter mood at the moment."

From one Princess to another, Mipha shook her head, "No, you're fine. I understand."

Zelda dropped her head back against the wall, shutting her eyes in some attempt at serenity, if only for the moment, still tormented by her father's blatant distrust of her and her intentions. She thought of her mom; how she had always been in Zelda's corner, even when her eccentricities came to the fore. The woman had always been protective of her daughter, though not for fear of Zelda's safety, but of the world doing what it often did to dreamers. She loved Zelda's quirks, and wanted them to last, well into both of their later lives.

Of course, Zelda's mother wouldn't make it.

"That's the Master Sword, isn't it?" Mipha asked quietly, forcing Zelda's eyes open as her head dropped forward.

Across the room in an ornate alcove of the main hall, surrounded by stained glass depictions of the heroes of old, sat a small, non-descript altar, upon which lay a mighty sword, resting atop pure white fabric. That's where it had been sat millennia ago, a testament to Hyrule's perseverance; though it's continued presence also suggested a rather ominous, foreboding reminder: that for all the years that Master Sword had remained here, it was all the same time that no Hero had been at the vanguard of Hyrule's destiny.

Zelda replied, "Yep. The legendary blade. The Sword of Evil's Bane. among other titles."

"The Goddess Sword," Mipha added, leaving Zelda to nod in reply, "That's what it's called in the book you gifted me."

Zelda continued, "You have to read a bunch into history to come up with that one, and even then, the sources are so few and far between, we can't be entire sure of its origins. Still, from what we know of the blade itself, that it's  _very_  old and  _very_  storied, it's not a leap to believe it to be associated with the Goddesses."

"How can you tell that it's so old?" Mipha wondered.

Her frown gradually growing into a smirk, Zelda pushed herself up, waving for Mipha to follow her to her feet, "Well, I suppose that requires some examination, doesn't it? Come on."

Unsurely enough, Mipha shakily followed along as Zelda and she crossed the room, slightly afraid of approaching a blade that Link had already told her had a history of being a detriment to the unworthy. Still, she put on a brave face, her bare feet pattering atop the marble floor as she matched Zelda's gait.

As they closed in with no objection, Zelda turned to find Ruzoll's eyes on them, though he turned away soon after, signaling his approval, allowing them to work their way up the two steps that lead up to the altar, Mipha growing more anxious as Zelda reached the ornamental table of marble, the Zora remaining atop only the first step. Zelda turned to her in confusion, only giggling as she goaded her on.

"Come on!" Zelda instructed, only to Mipha's nervousness.

Mipha replied, "B-But won't it-"

Answering quickly, Zelda admitted, "If it was going to hurt you  _that_  much, you'd have been thrown to the ground already. Now come on!"

This did little to quell Mipha's nerves, though she readied herself once again, taking a soft step to the top of the marble enclave, taking in the mighty sword with awestruck eyes.

"This was probably the first thing that I  _really_  got into learning about," Zelda affirmed easily, "Especially later on. I, uh- I'm supposed to have magical powers, you know, but- I don't, so- It frustrated me so much growing up, thinking I was defective; I didn't think I was meant to have it easy simply due to my royal birth, but-"

She shrugged, "I liked the idea of fate being so concrete as to be merely lifting a sword, you know?"

Mipha lowered her head respectfully, feeling as though Zelda had revealed quite the personal bit of information, though the Hylian Princess quickly returned her attention to the sword, "In any case, by observation, we know it's of a divine origin. Not only that, it seems to have something of a consciousness behind it. It hates some people, and likes others."

Zelda lowered her hand toward the sword, much to Mipha's astonishment, and gently dropped her fingers to run their tips along the sword's shining edge, "See? I can't lift it, but this is closer than most people can get."

Her eyes resting atop the blade for more than a moment, Mipha's awe overpowered her as Zelda watched with growing sadness, smiling lightly as she spoke up, only quietly, "This is about Link, isn't it?"

"W-What?!" Mipha exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth as her eyes jolted around to ascertain who all might have heard.

Zelda giggled, shaking her head, "So how long have you- you know..?"

Her nerves quelled by Zelda's secrecy, Mipha's brow furrowed regretfully, fearing she now owed Zelda back for her story from a moment before, quietly explaining, "W-Well, I mean- He was in Zora's Domain often as a child, I guess, so I knew him. We grew older and- I don't know, he just- I don't know. But he was so short- shorter than me- and it was already bad that, at the time, I was the sole heir to the throne. It wouldn't do for me to find attraction in a Hylian. I told myself, if he returned and I remained taller than he, I would forget about it all."

"Ahh," Zelda mused with gossiping ears, "And he met that challenge?"

"I-I- I mean, he didn't- know- but I just…" Mipha stuttered, bringing a fist up to cover her lips as her eyes averted, "Maybe it just seemed to me like he knew and just decided to have a growth spurt or whatever. It's silly, I know."

Zelda shrugged, "Seems more cute to me, really."

"But-" Mipha paused, dropping her head sadly, "He must not feel the same way. I would have thought he'd rush here to join us, but-"

Her own face curling with uncertainty, Zelda replied, "I mean, in my time with him anyway, he's kind of a tough nut to crack. Hyrule's been his love for his entire life, really. If he feels the same way, it might be even more difficult for him to admit that to himself than to you."

Grinning, Zelda continued, "But if  _I_  have any say, we  _will_  need him once we get this journey kick-started once again. Regardless. There'll be plenty of time to get you two togeth-"

"W-What?!" Mipha cried out in embarrassment, turning her face away to hide the blush that wasn't there, "I-I-"

Zelda giggled at her reaction, turning back toward the Master Sword, "So, what, you want him to try to wield this so he can be more worthy of your affections?"

"No!" Mipha retorted without hesitation, quickly reining herself in, "I mean- I know he's such a kind person, so- I'd love him even if he was a mere farmer. I just don't- He's just that kind of person who is destined for so much greater things. I hate to see him so pained, being torn between his love of duty and his longing for more."

She felt her heart throb in time with her gills as they were sent aflutter, "I promised him long ago… I would protect him- keep him safe. If that means keeping him safe from himself in his dogged determination to remain in flux, that's what I'll do. Even if it mean-..."

Her voice trailed off, not wanting her heart to tremble at such an idea, though Zelda completed the thought which hurt all the same, "Even if it means him choosing his knighthood over you?"

Mipha nodded lowly.

Zelda sighed, turning toward the Master Sword with a certain longing in her heart, "Well, take it from the heir of the Hyrulean Royal Family who cannot possess magic. Our only fate that is set in stone remains, solely, to be our deaths."

The two of them remained in quiet solitude as the massive doors at the opposite end of the main hall opened, two guards at each door pushing them open as King Bosphoramus strode in behind them, pushing his hand against one of the doors to assist the men until they came to a halt, signaling his attention to rise toward the newcomers. His face wore exasperation and contempt, more so due to his daughter, though there  _was_  a sense of regret of having allowed her to leave in the first place.

He had weighed such options before agreeing, though he had miscalculated the gravity such an expedition might cause. The King had left the idea at nothing more than his daughter's crazy idea- he hadn't expected her to actually recruit help when her connections were so few, much less the help of some formidable beings in their own right. Had he known Link possessed such an influence, he'd have sent a lesser officer and simply ended it at Zelda and Urbosa meandering about. With the names of Daruk, Urbosa, and the Princess of the Zora, most astonishingly, at the behest of Captain Ruzoll, King Bosphoramus was suddenly caught between allowing such an outlandish troupe causing such a ruckus with nothing more behind it than a fortune teller's intuition interpreted by his daughter.

His daughter and her surrogate mother gallivanting around wasn't strange. Zelda, accompanied by a corps of Champions, on a global trek;  _that_  was cause for attention.

Zelda quickly left the altar, stomping up toward her father with fury in her eyes, "Father!"

"Daughter," he replied simply.

She threw a thumb over her shoulder, "So what's your explanation for this sort of treatment?!  _This_  is how we treat our neighbors?!"

"No it's not. But these are not mere neighbors, child," Bosphoramus warned, "These are people you have deceived with your tales of grandeur, and I will not allow it to continue."

Offended at such deception being accused of her, Zelda stammered, "What?! I- W-"

"Excuse me, Rhoam," Urbosa spoke up, taking slow strides toward the two members of Hylian royalty, "Can I still call you Rhoam?"

The King frowned, "I would prefer you do not when we're around guests…"

"Okay, Rhoam, then," Urbosa replied with a smirk.

"But, then again, you weren't ever one for following decorum," King Bosphoramus muttered drolly.

Revali scoffed, grumbling with ire, "And she has the  _gall_  to lecture  _me_  on such things…"

"Look, shouldn't that be for  _us_  to decide?" questioned Urbosa, "I, for one, haven't a doubt when it comes to this child's validity."

The King's eyes narrowed, "I also know that you've become like a second mother to this child. I wouldn't doubt you would take her side, just as her mother did; both of you have a penchant for such things."

Irked at an insinuation, Urbosa threw her head around, "Daruk! You believe her, don't you?"

"A- Uh- What?" the Goron puttered in reply, "Well, I- I mean, uh, which part? I do think that much can be gained by studying the Beasts, but- uh- about the other stuff, I mean-"

Urbosa's face curled with resentment, searching for reinforcements in Revali before quickly recognizing that as a bad idea, though the Rito took her sudden glance as an invitation, "Pshaw,  _I_  don't. I wasn't even made privy to this whole venture until later on; I was told we'd be seeking fame and fortune."

The muscles around Zelda's chest constructed painfully.

Just holding in a curse, Urbosa spun toward Mipha, "Mipha! You believe her, don't you?!"

"I mean, truthfully, I do not presume that she meant any ill will or anything, just-" Mipha began, sadly, "I haven't a problem going along and being convinced as we progress."

Knowing such a thing wasn't going to cut it with  _this_  man, this King, Urbosa dropped her head in defeat, groaning with disappointment.

"I'm merely saving them for your wild ideas, daughter," King Bosphoramus confirmed, almost sadly.

Zelda's hands clenched into fists, shooting her head up toward her father to reveal the tears crawling down her face, "Are you so ashamed of me?!"

"Zelda-"

"Or is it because of my inability to wield magic?!" Zelda challenged angrily, "How many nights have you remained awake, wondering how much of a mistake I was to bring into this wor-!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Rhoam shouted with a roaring voice that shook the very air within the gigantic room, sending his daughter aback in recoil.

He stepped toward her, "I will  _not_  allow you to put words into my mouth, and I certainly will  _not_  allow you to accuse me of such wickedness!"

Zelda turned her face in furious resolve, not bothering to back down now, "You're doing the same exact thing to me!"

"Because I'm your father!" he retorted with just as much heat to his tone, "Because I've seen what happens when you upset the natural order of this world! Because I  _was_  you when I was but a child!"

"Father!"

"That's enough!" Rhoam continued with spewing instruction, "I won't allow this discussion to go on any longer! You are to make your way to the library, this instant!"

Zelda threw an arm out defiantly, "No!"

"That's an order, child!"

Urbosa's anger suddenly boiled over as she took a step forward, "Hey! You're not about to just cut her off like that!"

His glare turning toward Urbosa now, Rhoam defended himself, "So long as I'm her father-!"

Ruzoll's stare narrowed as Urbosa approached the King, unsure of how the current situation was to progress. His lips tugged together, pursed in expectation as he signaled to his men. Instantly, the majority of his men hurried across the hall toward Urbosa, having already known of her strength, their collective steps catching Urbosa's attention as smirked greedily.

"Really?!" she asked incredulously.

From across the hall, Revali's eyes lit up as he bowed his head to hide a grin, "Yes, really…"

Eyeing the remaining number of soldiers, Ruzoll and an assortment of three other men, Revali quickly sized them up, shaking his head, "Hylians in a barrel."

At his words, one of the nearby soldiers turned to Revali with a confusion look, not a moment before Revali jumped at him, knocking him to the ground before the Rito readied himself once again, even with his wrists bound, quickly dodging a blow from one of the others and seething angrily before launching another attack.

Taking out another of the soldiers, Ruzoll stomped forward with his sword drawn, sending Revali hopping backward with a fierce look aimed toward Daruk, "Goron! Aid me! Your skin is impervious!"

Already lost amidst the confusion, Daruk simply held his hands up into the air, looking around him with dread at the thought of possibly harming any number of the people around him, "I- I'm not equipped to-!"

"Not equipped?! You're nothing but stone!" Revali reminded as he dodged a blow from Ruzoll, "Just get up there and- GAH!"

The other soldier tackled Revali, sending the two to the ground as Ruzoll joined in the fray, the two Hylians overpowering the Rito as Revali furiously attempted to break free, shouting in strange caws of Rito obscenity as Ruzoll attempted to bind him further. Zelda angrily spun around toward the scrum, beginning to charge, though her advance was halted by the advancing squad of men encircling Urbosa.

"Stop it!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, trying to burst through the line of soldiers, " _STOP IT!_ "

_**-BANG!-** _

The entire hall fell silent at the deafening thud of sound that tore through the atmosphere, forcing every action to cease as everybody present eyed the doorway that had just blown open. Zelda slid free from the soldiers, her body shaking from the aftershock of so many emotions roiling throughout her body and suddenly coming to a chilling stop. Her breath ran cold as the body of Link walked in, stopping once his presence could be seen.

Ruzoll immediately returned to Revali, the scrum continuing with the Rito's peckish attacks while the commander shouted, "Link! Get over here and help us!"

The struggle continued until Ruzoll noticed Link's inaction. The Hylian merely stood there, watching the struggle from afar before turning his head back toward the altar where Mipha had remained. Her skin crawled at the sight of Link standing there, almost with a primal determination on his face; as though he'd come for prey far greater than even his rival in Revali.

Link stepped forward with conviction, his heart stopping as he truly realized what he was about to do. The Master Sword bed atop that altar came into view, forcing a shiver down Link's spine, knowing what the sword was all too capable of doing to him. Even worse what was sure to happen to his reputation, were his assertion true- or rather, Mipha's assertion. His breaths grew quick, hollow, as he strode toward the alcove, only allowing his eyes to flinch once to watch Mipha for but a moment as she stepped away from the steps leading to the altar, in awe of the sight before her.

He was truly doing it.

As Link stepped up the round steps, the room had once again come to a sudden halt, with even Revali's attention on the Hylian. He took a deep breath as he stood there, within arms' reach of the blade that had turned greater men than he mad with jealously over not having ownership of it. It had turned greater men's arm jet black with divine punishment for daring to claim it.

He knew all too well, all those great Hylians to come before him, all of whom he couldn't ever hope to hold a candle to. They all took this blade.

By the goddess… how could he hope to do so as well?

Link stared at the hilt of the blade, thinking of Mipha. of her faith in him, of his worthiness. He thought of a life with her, where every day could be better than the last. where the two of them would discover so much, not of just each other, but of that world where the two of them were bound by strands far greater than any material known to Hyrule.

How could such a world come to pass, were there nobody to protect it?

His hand reached over, taking hold of the blade's handle, a collective assortment of gasps echoing throughout the grandiose hallway, of soldiers mystified, having only seen a handful of people having gotten  _this_  far.

Yet one test remained.

Link swallowed, almost painfully, through his parched throat. His heart stopped for the briefest of moments, his breathing ceased, his skin crawled.

And his hand raised up.

Immediately, the soldiers were aghast, quickly dropping their own swords in reverence for the Sacred Blade, even Ruzoll, who clawed his way up to his feet with wide eyes, tossing his sword to the ground. Link's own eyes drew amazed at the sight before him; the sword followed his movements, as though he were wielding- Wait, was he truly doing so? It felt heavy in his grasp, not simply due to the material, he was certain, but of the history. of the sheer gravity this most sacred of blades carried atop of it.

Slowly, Link turned around with his arm outstretched, allowing his eyes to fall upon King Bosphoramus, who's eyes were glistening with both awe as well as shock.

"You ask for legitimacy in Princess Zelda's endeavors," Link spoke up with a heavy tone.

He lifted his arm in presentation, "Here it is, your highness."


	19. Newfound Trails

Urbosa reached her hands up into the air, having crouched down to better present herself to a young pair of Hylian siblings, smiling brightly as she spoke up excitedly, "Come on, high five!"

The taller of the two hopped right into the air to excitedly smack Urbosa's hand, though the more timid one remained confined to his own personal space. Helpfully noticing his mute behavior, Urbosa's smile grew warm as she dropped her hand to better allow him to acquiesce without so much of a show.

"Down low, then," she nodded.

The boy grinned bashfully before reaching out his hand, dropping it against Urbosa's before quickly hiding behind his sister, who began to chastise him as the two started off, having had their fill of the strange band of strangers standing at the gateway between the castle and town. The Gerudo woman smiled as she watched the two children off, turning back around to find Link knelt down, readying their packs with new provisions.

"Well well, so much for just tagging along, huh?" she openly teased, earning a droll glance from Link as he continued working.

He replied with a sigh, "Shut up."

This only caused her to chuckle, peering at the ornate sword Link had wrapped up inside a bundle of fine linens and strapped to his pack, still with his old sword bound to his back, "You're not wearing the important one?"

"I'd rather not cause a ruckus," he explained quickly, to Urbosa's suspicion, "The last thing we need is any more attention then we'll already be drawing."

Urbosa's eyes rolled, "Uh huh. You have any other excuses you'd like to try on me before Zelda shows up?"

Groaning, Link dropped his head, "That bad, huh?"

"We've got kids staring at us from behind corners because of how strange we all look to them; just how our group is formed is enough cause for drawing attention," Urbosa shrugged.

Link tapped his foot as he thought for a moment, "Well, I mean, I could just say I'm trying to keep it safe?"

"That sword has the weight of millennia upon its edge and you expect her to believe that its safer within its sheath?" Urbosa laughed, shaking her head, "Tell me, why are you so apprehensive to wield it, still? It all but chose you, after generations of rejecting everybody else."

Link failed to reply, leaving Urbosa alone to only guess, though she'd had an idea already, "Are you apprehensive of the added responsibility?"

"No, I just-" Link paused for a moment, "I was born to protect these people. I haven't an issue with the responsibility, but- I just want to be sure."

Urbosa's eyes crinkled with curious interest, "Sure of what?"

"That I'm the right one," Link spoke gingerly, his voice just barely managing through the air between the two of them.

Another chuckle, Urbosa all but availing her self at the thought, "Boy! It just  _chose_  you!"

"But what if it's wrong..?"

Urbosa's eyes narrowed, "It's not. Had that been a possibility- If that Sword had been wrong, even once before, we wouldn't be standing here, now would we?"

Link dropped his eyes at the sentiment, allowing Urbosa to slap a hand atop his shoulder in support, "If you ever had time to search for a more concrete understanding of this new role, it is now, with us. If we're truly to understand these Beasts- understand this coming threat; all the better you understand your new self."

"New self?" Link inquired sincerely.

Urbosa cocked her eyebrows, smirking in reply, "You're almost unrecognizable!"

Coming to recognize her teasing, Link swiped only at air as Urbosa recoiled away with a playful motion, chuckling in answer as she assured throughout it all, "Even when you weren't one of us, we all had your back. Imagine the support now that you  _are_  a part of the group. We'll all figure this out, alright?"

Link sighed almost in lonesome resignation, though Urbosa softly hit his upper arm with a fist, smiling fondly before speaking up in recognition, "Champion."

Despite recognizing the mocking undertones, Link understood her sentiment to also hold a deeper meaning, welcoming him into the group of five that had now become six. He didn't think he required that sort of vindication, though now, hearing it aloud, it was rather nice to know that he had been, more or less, officially welcomed, rather than just a supposed addition.

Urbosa stride off toward her pack, which Daruk had absently been approaching with sneaking steps, the Gerudo raising her voice, "Goron!"

"W-What?!" he retorted in nervous exclamation, "I was just-"

"Just trying to steal my store, weren't you?" Urbosa accused, throwing a finger out at Daruk.

He flinched, "N-No! I was only- comparing them, making sure you hadn't gotten better food stuffs!"

"Uh huh," Urbosa nodded drolly, "Do you think me to have been born yesterday?"

Revali scoffed, his arms crossed to better prevent any of the curious Hylians nearby from approaching him, "It would surely explain your inability to recognize the Rito as- Gah! Back off, vermin!"

He immediately flinched in recoil as a group of children stalked up to him, leaving him to shout, "you attempt to surround me, but I am not afraid of your wily efforts, fools!"

"Ha ha!" the cluster of kids clamored in amusement, "You're funny!"

Revali's eyes flew wide open, " _I'm_  funny?! You schlemiel of a child, have you not seen yourself? Waddling about, parading as if in celebration of your uselessness! You hadn't even earned your livelihood by breaking through a shell; you were all but excreted and  _given_  the breath of life!"

The chorus of laughter continued, the iridescent presence of foreign verbiage causing the children all the more amusement as one of them asserted, "Haha, you have feathers, mister!"

"What? My plumage?!" Revali panicked, spinning his body in place as he examined himself, "Has something blemished them?!"

The comical display earned even laughter from the nearby adults, forcing Revali to sneer in revulsion at having been played, "Alright, you wish to try as you might against my abilities? Fine! In Rito culture, we rarely discriminate on the basis of age; I'd love to accept your challenge!"

He threw a finger toward the child, " _You_  have hair! What a useless addendum to the Hylian form! Ha!"

Still, the children remained in the bouts of laughter, only heating up Revali all the more as he attempted to understand the situation, but to no avail. Link only shrugged as he watched with his own amusement, grinning at the Rito's frustration as he returned to packing, turning to find Mipha having returned.

Immediately pulling his head down to feign some sense of focus on his work, it was more due to his worry of possibly blushing in front of her. Had Mipha a clue of this, she didn't let on, simply speaking as though she were merely updating a fellow Champion.

"I found some sharpening stones and a few bits of flint," she confirmed plainly, watching Link nod in acknowledgement as he continued his work.

Quietly, he answered, "Thanks."

Despite being outside his view, Mipha nodded herself, taking a step toward the others as Link jumped to his feet, speaking hastily while simultaneously scratching the back of his head, his eyes off on some tangential point in another direction.

"Hey, uh-" he spoke up unsurely, "I don't want- I mean-"

Mipha's brow furrowed with confusion, "Don't want- Oh."

"N-No! I-" Link stammered fearfully, waving his hands in front of him, taking a breath as his shoulders slumped dejectedly, "What you said back there. Did you- mean it..?"

Her eyes deepened as she peered into Link's face, as if trying to understand not only his words, but the meaning in his expression. Perhaps she simply wanted him to sweat a bit, he couldn't tell, but without warning, as Link's neck crawled with hopeless anticipation, Mipha's voice rang through.

"I did," she smiled lightly, "As honestly as I might have years ago."

Link lowered his head, unable to contain a smile as he averted his gaze while his nerves suddenly came to the fore, churning his stomach in an aching ball of mass trying to roll through his entire body. Feeling the heat of his face rising, he tried to hide himself even more, though Mipha's low giggling admitted to her having already seen.

"I've never seen you do that before; not unless you had a cold," noted Mipha with a brilliant smile on her face.

Clearing his throat, Link shook his head, boldly replying, "I assure you, it's nothing to, uh- I've never had such a thing spoken to me before."

Mipha lowered her head, now facing her own embarrassment, the two now only sharing words rather than eye contact as Link went on, "I mean, once or twice, but- not by anyone so beautiful."

Her heart jumped.

"Look, Mipha," Link spoken up with unwavering confidence, his reddened face slowly beginning to fade, "I don't know- Today has kind of left me in a strange situation. My life was one way this very morning, but now, it- It's just a bit different."

"Just a bit, yes," Mipha agreed with a sardonic sort of teasing.

Link strained his chest for a moment, readying himself to continued, "I don't know anything about what I'm to do now. My life is, just- It's like I've been reborn somehow with no idea of the world around me, so… I have to figure out a lot; you know, like this sword, this whole Champion thing-"

His heart tugged as he watched Mipha's downturned head. He reached over to take a gentle hold of her hand, concealed as they were from the view of anybody else, stroking the indentions opposite her palm with his thumb. Her scales shuddered at such an intimate touch, his hand pulsating heat along her arm due to his nerves having forced his heart to course blood throughout his skin. She thought it nice to somehow feel what he was feeling.

"I do know one thing, though," Link affirmed with a soft voice, betraying the smile upon his face, "Whatever my life is to become as a result of this- If you would allow me, I would quite like to have you in it."

Mipha's eyes raised to meet Link's, her brow spun in heartfelt wonderment by his words. Her hand grasped his own, tightly, as her smile broke through. She might have known what came next after such an affirmation had she the mental faculties to recall her Hylian fairy tales, however, in lieu of such an ability, her eyes simply shuddered as Link leaned forward to gently press his lips against hers, forcing her skin to crawl from the heat ruminating upon her face. Between the pleasured feeling of that warmth of the man she loved and her biology gradually coming to a halt at the sensation often accompanying a sun bath, her legs began to shake in ever-expanding weakness, Link only realizing this as her lips began to escape his.

Not allowing such a thing to pass, Link's hand left her hand to grab hold of her hips, pulling her torso against his as their shared show of chaste passion burned at their lips. His hands pierced her scales, that feeling of being held tightly coming across rather alluringly Mipha noted to herself, simply allowing her body to be supported by this man's strength as though he would carry mountains if only to take her lips into his own.

Soon enough, their kiss ended with a subtle end as their lips lingered just before the other's, cloudy eyes meeting above their two pairs of sated skin. Link had taken to blushing lightly once again, leaving Mipha relieved to have been without such a thing, though her quaking legs testified much the same thing as Link's face.

"I don't- know much about this kind of stuff," Link admitted weakly, "Was that the right thing to do?"

Mipha replied easily, "I don't rightly care whether it was or not."

Unable to withhold his relief, Link allowed a soft chuckle in reply.

"You make it sound as though I'm a luminary on the topic," Mipha complained with a wry smile.

Shrugging, Link retorted, "You read all those fairy tale books, don't you?"

Mipha thought for a moment, "I liked the picture books for a reason, remember?"

"Well, your Hylian is getting better," Link spoke in a light voice as he concealed a laugh, "Perhaps we can do some research and figure it out. together."

The Zora woman smiled sweetly at the thought for only a brief moment before Link returned to share one final kiss as the crowd behind them began to roar with cheers. Forced to cut their momentary reunion of lips short, the two parted resistantly while looking on toward the crowd.

"Guess who?" Link asked rhetorically, smiling back down toward Mipha, "I suppose it's time to return."

She nodded diligently in reply, hoping to hide the longing she had to simply curl up into his arms and be lulled to sleep by his comforting drain of body heat. They returned to the group of Champions just as King Bosphoramus and Zelda descended down the final portion of stairs, the Princess still smiling with a bevy of nerves at the mounting attention that she still hadn't accrued a resistance to. Her father reacted as fluidly as a King might by this point in his life, giving the people of Hyrule a wave and nodding thankfully to the crowds before returning his attention to his daughter, dipping his head so that she could hear.

"Just- don't do anything that I wouldn't," he instructed with a paternal zeal lining his voice.

Zelda smirked, "When haven't I heeded those very words?"

Her father sighed regretfully, looking out toward his daughter's Champions as though pleading to find the knight who now carried the Master Sword. Upon catching Link's visage, the King returned to his daughter.

"He is one of my most trusted knights. You are to trust in his instincts, as well as his combat prowess and-"

"Father, I know!" Zelda returned with a joyful air, "You raised me well, even without mom. Part of why I wanted to begin this journey in the first place was to prove that to you."

Rhoam growled in a deep, rumbling groan, dropping his head regretfully, "As much as I would like to say having you return was a lack of trust in your inexperience, I see, now, that it was little more than a distrust in my own work as a father. I've worried, for years, that I couldn't possibly do right by you without your mother at my side, but- I see now, that might be folly. You've grown into quite the dependable young lady, my child."

Zelda smiled proudly at his words, nodding studiously as she reached her arms around him for a hug, the two embracing warmly as the child, now an adult, confirmed, "You did great, father."

He nodded as they parted, immediately pointing toward Link, "I  _still_  want you to allow him the duty of keeping you safe! I know you too well, still, my daughter; I know you won't make it easy for him!"

"Okay, okay, I will," Zelda assured before bowing deeply toward her father, signaling her time for departure, "I love you, father."

He smiled warmly, "And I love you too, Zelda. If you run off and find whatever it is you're looking for- Just remember, you'll always have me to return to."

"I know, father," she smiled, "I know."

The two shared dutiful nods before Zelda spun around, reorienting the backpack strung atop her shoulder as she approached the Champions, happily taking her place among them as the six members all came into a circle. Zelda's eyes flickered with the brilliance of impending adventure as she examined the lot of them, one by-

"Link," she grinned wryly, "I thought you weren't here to partake in our dities?"

The knight groaned, recalling Urbosa's teasing from a moment ago, "You know, I  _could_  leave."

"But you won't!" Daruk challenged mightily, "Your burning heart affirms your dazzling will, my brother! You know your place is here with us!"

Urbosa chuckled, shrugging, "He's right, you know."

Link's head fell backward in exasperation as Zelda's eyes blew open wide, "Wait! Where's the Master Sword?!"

Link checked himself with a quick glance toward Urbosa, who simply cocked her head with a smirk, finding amusement in the predicament she had very well predicted. Link rushed for an answer, answering simply enough not a moment too late for Zelda's curiosity to be piqued.

"No reason to beg for any more attention then we'll already be receiving," Link assured.

Zelda watched him for a brief moment as she thought, finally nodding agreement, "Fair enough, I guess. Anyway, we'll-"

"Wait, you're not gonna buy that, are you?" Urbosa challenged suddenly, more with annoyance that her surrogate daughter had so easily caved to an excuse she had already deemed inadequate.

Zelda turned to Urbosa with confusion, "Should- Should I not have?!"

The Gerudo woman groaned, rubbing a hand across her face, "Ah, vai… The knight isn't the only much with much to learn, still."

"I trust she simply means that Link should not have feigned impudence and attempted to shield himself from excuse," Revali challenged with a sneering gaze toward Link.

Urbosa sighed, "Okay, three of them…"

"Just because you have that sword, Hylian- Don't mistake it for believing you have any more worth than before," Revali remarked, "And don't let that showy entrance of yours go to your head! I'd have taken on that entire battalion had you not arrived!"

Without skipping a beat, Mipha turned toward Zelda with a mischievous glance, "Are you sure we can afford another member to fit alongside his ego?"

"Very good!" Urbosa laughed, "I hadn't a clue you could make jokes, Mipha!"

Revali turned his head in confusion, "What? I don't follow."

"Some things," Link assured with a challenging smirk, "You cannot follow even through the power of flight."

Frowning with dismay, Revali puffed up his chest, allowing the conversation to wash over him, "Well, a raven takes no notice of the prattlings on of the ibis. I would do well to heed that proverb."

Before any further prodding could occur, Zelda took hold of the reins, speaking up confidently enough, "Alright, Champions. We begin anew! …though, I suppose we should return to Vah Naboris. Ruzoll never did give us that notebook back before he moved onto the assignment he left to come get us."

Link's brow raised inquisitively, running along the lineup surrounding him before offering, "Actually…"

He reached into his pocket, much to the group's amazement, and pulled out another small booklet, skipping through the pages before handing it over to Zelda, "I kind of developed a decent recall while out on patrol. That should be everything of note I jotted down."

"Link!" Zelda nearly shouted in shock, "Th- This is incredible! Thank you!"

He shrugged, though felt the glances of the others as Urbosa chuckled teasingly, "You never were separate from us, were you?"

"Shut up," Link repeated with a frown, dropping his head warily while Zelda examined the notes.

She hummed to herself before noting aloud, "Isn't this missing a thing or two?"

"Hmm?" Link wondered as she passed the booklet back toward him, "Just your scholar-speak. I figured that was unnecessary."

Suddenly affright, Zelda retorted loudly, "I-! I do not have 'scholar speak' or whatever!"

"Gah lee!" "Gah lee." Golly!" rang out the other members of the group.

Zelda's head bolted upward, contorted in anger as her face blew red with embarrassment, "I don't-!"

"Biggun!" "Biggun..?" ""Big one." came another chorus.

Her face immensely flustered, Zelda simply took her pack and dropped her head, strolling along with shame lining her words, "Just- Let's go."

Daruk burst forth a jolly laugh as Urbosa took Zelda in her arms, "My child, you know there is no fellowship without jokes."

Zelda's steps continued taking her away, even with Urbosa's embrace, until finally, she stopped, taking a moment to recover before turning her face up toward Urbosa with a smile.

"Yeah. I know."

"Excellent!" Daruk roared with vigor, earning an excited applause from some of the nearby townspeople, "Then we're off! …correct?"

Zelda nodded, "Yes, we are. and this time, there's not a thing that can stop us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end! Thank you so very much if you've made it this far! The fact that anybody would give anything of mine any attention whatsoever is so incredibly humbling, and it absolutely fills my heart with joy to know people are not only reading these, but coming back to them as I continue writing them. It just means the whole world to me, so thank you so, so much :)
> 
> So, some housekeeping is in order:
> 
> This concludes 'Champions' Tale' insofar as it's more of a 'soft-ending'. There's obviously three more Divine Beasts to visit, as well as a bevy of other troubles, events, and magical moments that can all come to pass, though this soft-ending is a tidy enough stopping point just in case you're all exhausted of the story and believe this to be a neat enough conclusion. I would love any and all feedback; I've grown to love these versions of the BotW characters, and have zero issue coming up with future conversations and plot stuff to accommodate three more milestones upon the journey!
> 
> Regardless, I will be taking a break to start up a different story! Between WoW Classic coming out (with my twenty-two hours in three days, of course) and the new Starset album, I've had a new Warcraft story mulling around in my head the last week or so, and I'd love to get that all written down in note form just to make sure I don't start losing all the story progress I've already accrued within my head. 
> 
> In any case, once again, thank you so much for reading! I hope to catch you elsewhere :D


	20. As Things Are Now

Mipha's head remained buried toward her chest, tucked inside her legs as her arms pulled them close, cloistered as she was in the corner of the ever-darkening prison she'd been stuck into. It had only been a handful of hours, and yet, those same hours felt like days- days she'd been stripped from her company of friends. Daruk's hearty, boisterous laughter, which seemed to liven up even the most esoteric of spirits that blotted the world around them, had already started to fade from her immediate memory, needing to recall with more and more brain power than usual. Urbosa's strength, Zelda's wits- even Revali's pithy commentary began to be missed by the Zoran princess now that she was forced to exist without such loved amenities. Link, especially…

The previous few day's events had done little to allow her mind to think of much else, as well. It had consumed the Champions like a vortex in the water, one that even Mipha's mighty fins could not break free from. After all, that vortex knew her all to well, she had surmised; without even a single conversation, that vortex knew her as a single drop in a limitless abyss of the oceans.

Such a thought sent a shiver down her spine.

A clanking arose at the doorway, though Mipha was too downtrodden to lift her head. Unless they were to gain entry, she felt little need to offer much of anything in the way of attention, especially since it more than likely was simply a wayward guard, come to view the Princess of the Zoras with their own eyes.

The presence of another unnerved her, particularly as she felt their seedy eyes upon her, though her curiosity began to arise. Aside from that initial noise to signal their arrival, they hadn't made a sound; they must have simply been standing there. Slowly, Mipha raised her head, allowing her eyes to break from beneath the crest of her forehead just enough to catch the vision of that dark figure whose unmistakeably red scales shone ghastly against the silhouette of the murky blackness of the prison ward.

"Princess," came a thickeningly deep voice that seemed to reverberate the very walls surrounding the two of them.

Mipha didn't reply, but didn't allow her eyes to fall either. They remained firm in their stare, which seemed a source of bemusement for the man despite his stoicism. His crimson scales glowed as his body wavered in the single ray of light that came in past the doorway, catching Mipha's eyes for a brief moment before they returned to his own in defiance.

"Do you mean to threaten me?" his voice bellowed evenly, "Even as you're sitting there, caged?"

Mipha replied with a voice as still as lake water, "Come in here and we'll see how threatening I can become."

The burly Zoran man allowed but a measly grin to stretch from a single edge of his lips, "I told Pakor that your imprisonment was to keep them out as much as it was to keep you in. I'm afraid their tales of you have become rather…"

He cleared his throat, "Unbecoming, I'll put it that way. I dread the thought of one of them getting any ideas."

Mipha challenged, still with a deadpan voice, "So you just came here just to share with me this disturbing information?"

"No," the man shook his head dismissively, "I brought you a meal. We can't have you withering away in here, can we?"

Mipha's brow furrowed, " _I_  can."

Such determined defiance forced the man to run a hand along his face in thought, "If you thought that information a second ago was worrisome- I  _do_  know ways to get you to eat. Do not mistake my kindness for weakness."

Scoffing, Mipha shook her head, "Sorry, I missed out on your kindness  _somewhere_  between your speech and my kidnapping."

"Only to keep you safe, Princess, I assure you," the man nodded, his voice still carrying no emotion, "I sat around those bonfires with my band for decades, all of them so loyal. We'd all scraped through the world to survive; but I know they'd need something to keep them going. So I regaled them with stories of Zora's Domain, the mighty mountains of Lanayru; how better everything would be when we finally returned home. After so long, however, even the strongest loyalties need be stoked."

The man's eyes narrowed, the ridge between his eyes bowing ever so slightly in a demonstration of how serious he was, "What my men have said about what they would do to you, the Princess of the Zora, once our return had occurred… You'd  _best_  accept my generosity, before I decide to allow  _them_  to decide how best to treat you."

He reached a hand through the grating of the cell door and dropped a Hylian carp to the ground with a  _WHAP_ , the creature still flopping around only weakly to signal its freshness, "I plan on creating a brighter future for our people. and I wouldn't have the slightest inhibition about having such a beauteously strong queen at my side. Perhaps, soon enough, you'll understand the advantages of taking to me more kindly."

The man turned his head down the hallway as if to check on something before returning his attention toward Mipha, "Let's just hope I don't have to bring my Niq in here to convince you just how respectful  _I_  am."

With that, he bowed his head only in the most general of senses, as if honoring the title Mipha held rather than she as a being, before turning to leave, his Zoran feet paddling at the concrete floor below, a flash of cardinal-colored scales flashing as his dorsal fin blew behind him. Mipha's eyes remained fixed on the cell door until she was sure of his exit, the wooden door down the hallway slamming shut with a furious  _BANG_ , before Mipha allowed her brow to fall in sadness, dropping her head onto her knees defeatedly.

Link…

She thought of him. of his indomitable spirit that she so desperately wished she might be able to siphon from him through some netherous transmission, but it was merely a passing hope, much as all the others that passed by her mind as she sat in this dripping, murky cell. It had only been a week or two ago that the two of them had become something of lovers, though still in only the most uncertainly abstract of ways. Most of Mipha's life had been her learning about herself, about her body, her place in this world. Such a relief it was to find out that Link had much the same questions- perhaps the two of them could simply learn of these things together, among other things.

Now, these last two weeks had forced a world's worth of uncertainly upon Mipha's mind, just as she was beginning to gain some certainty of herself. Everything was making sense. and then  _he_  showed up…

Her eyes slowly peeked toward the carp, thinking of her hunger, but also about how determined she was to remain belligerent at the cost of her hunger. Even more so, that vague threat made by that man. that man that was suppose to be-

Slowly, weakly, she hid her face behind her knees once more. She would refuse to eat, for now. Her mind flashed those red scales, thinking how quickly she'd noticed them upon first meeting that man- it was near instantaneous. For his red scales were all the identification a member of Zoran royalty required.

 _That_  man. Her brother. Dolare, the Sundered Scale, Leader of the Niq.

* * *

"BLEEEECH!" came an engorged grumbling from Daruk as he hunched over a nearby stone, emptying his insides in a painful display of rejection while Link kept his attention on his feet so as to not ruin his boots while he patted his Brother's back.

"Sorry," the Hylian offered, "I guess I need to put a disclaimer on anything I cook: might not be suitable for everybody."

His projecting having ceased, Daruk simply rested there, panting heavily as he shook his head, "It smelled so good though; normally that's a decent sign."

Frowning, Link shrugged, "Well, maybe not. Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Daruk nodded before his enfeebled body worked its way upright, "That should be all of it."

Link nodded before guiding the massive Goron man back toward the campsite, "Alright then. Don't worry, just to make sure this doesn't happen again, I had the others sort out the ingredients- we'll start documenting them as dangerous whenever necessary. Trust me, it got Zelda's scholar-brain all excited."

A faint smile rested upon Daruk's face, "W-Well, so long as it makes her happy, I suppose."

"Don't give her that, please; it'll only encourage her," assured Link weakly, "She'll be throwing every plant, seed, or herb at you to figure out what all Gorons can't eat, and even then, not all Gorons are the same; she'll set up a buffet and a blind study up in Goron City to get all the results in. It's best we just end it right-"

"Daruk!" Zelda cried out in terror, rushing up toward the two and immediately embracing all that she could of the stone man with outstretched arms, "Are you okay?!"

The Goron nodded with a measly smile, "Y-Yes, of course. I'm Daruk the Unshaken, after all! Defender of-!"

He suddenly pushed Zelda away before wrapping his arms against his stomach, hunching over in quivering plain, "W-Well… I'll take the day off and be shook today, I suppose…"

Zelda frowned, "I hate to see you like this, but don't worry! We devised a makeshift lineup of everything Link put into that batch of soup, so we'll just-"

She noticed Link's sudden intense stare, "What?"

"Nothing," Link shrugged, "Just seemed as though you were blaming me there for a second."

Zelda's lips curled ambivalently, "I mean, you  _are_  the chef, aren't you?"

"First off, no, I'm just a dude who cooks," Link shook his head, "Second, I don't recall doing much cooking when everybody was throwing everything but the kitchen crank in the pot."

Aghast, Zelda threw a hand against her chest as her mouth drew wide open in shock, "Are you blaming this entire Company?!"

"Sharing the blame amongst the entire group. Wow, a few days in and I'm already getting good at this," Link mused with a muted, feigned smile, "Now, Daruk, we've got everything sat out, so just-"

As they approached the camp, they found Mipha and Urbosa both bent over a flat-topped rock with magnifying glasses, examining the bevy of ingredients that sat in neat, organized piles these, though both of their movements seemed devoid of purpose. Link's brow curled inquisitively as he turned toward Zelda.

Intuiting his question, Zelda explained, "They're just giving each ingredient a once over."

"What do they expect to find?" Link asked, his voice lined with droll expression.

Urbosa answered instead, dropping her arms as she spoke up, "We don't even know what we  _are_  doing. She just gave these to us and said to look out for anti-Goron agents at work."

"I would just like to know, if something here caused Daruk to fall ill,  _why_  it did so," Zelda shrugged, "Perhaps, then, we could neutralize it, or even reverse it to make it beneficial!"

Deciding to leave Zelda to her hypotheses, Link simply guided Daruk up to the stone, allowing the Goron a moment to look over the ingredient splayed out, "Okay Daruk, do any of these look like the culprit?"

Daruk's eyes glazed over, "…you're kidding, right?"

Raising her head with her magnifying glass still in front of her eye, Mipha turned toward Revali as the Rito sputtered alive with a voice weakened with disbelief, his arms crossed with a forearm raised to allow his face to fall into his hand, "This is  _the_  most  _preposterous_  thing I've ever had the displeasure of witnessing. You do all know this is one of those things that makes me believe this whole venture is nothing more than a means to play a prank on me, correct?!"

"Yeah, yeah," Urbosa muttered in reply as Daruk began scrutinizing the array of ingredients, "Just be thankful we aren't  _worse_."

The Champions, fresh off the far-reaching approval of the King of Hyrule, resulting from the legitimacy offered this quest by the Master Sword, now set their sights on Zora's Domain, or rather, the Reservoir above the Domain, where the Divine Beast Vah Ruto rested. After only a handful of minutes of deliberation, it was decided to be the next simplest Beast to examine, particularly after a rather impassioned speech by Zelda on the merits of biological beings not being subjected to volcanic temperatures, nor the brusque behavior of, essentially, a mechanical sky god. These objectives would prove easier to put aside for later.

Now, this Company found themselves heading east from Hyrule Castle, choosing to take the pass along Crenel Peak that would lead them along the Lanayru Highlands to Inogo Bridge, the first milestone to meet any visitors wishing to make the treacherous journey up the river. It was the kind of place where many rumors had sprung up indeed, the lot of them Zelda was privy to, thanks to her time spent in libraries reading some not-so-accurate accounts from time to time. Already, Mipha had been forced to correct her when Zelda proclaimed her excitement to see the octorocks that "waddle around on land".

Not long after subjecting Daruk to the ingredient lineup, Zelda was content with simply keeping a list with which they could eliminate items one by one as they arose, though she was adamant about uncovering more once the Company's quest was over, and even then, her curiosity over the standard Goron diet had been piqued.

"So," she began as she helped Urbosa slowly furl the tent, "How does your stomach even work? I mean, you're rock, right? Why would you even need to eat?"

"Bwah ha!" Daruk laughed, "Because-! Well, I don't know, really. There's no digestion, but we have mouths and can taste. Perhaps the goddesses, in their benevolence, simply created us with the ability to enjoy whatever foods this land could offer?"

Zelda's lips curled with curiosity, "But where does it end up?"

"By the goddess, are we really inquiring about this topic?" Revali complained.

Curiously, Zelda wondered, "But isn't it interesting?!"

"No," Revali flatly denied, "I would be more intrigued by the trappings of a stag beetle than  _anything_  to do with his…functions."

Rather miffed by Revali's insistence, Daruk merely answered, "I mean, nothing really happens. I suppose everything just decomposes inside of us, or leaves us in some other way. Gorons aren't exactly the easiest beings to cut open and examine, you know."

"That's what makes you interesting, though!" Zelda exclaimed happily, "I've come across anatomy books for all the other major races of Hyrule- I mean, I've practically seen everybody here naked  _and_  inside-out while delving through the literature. Everybody except Gorons, that is."

Pondering quietly to herself, Zelda tapped her foot against the ground, leaving Link to chide aloud, "She's thinking of how to find a Goron to cut open, isn't she?"

Daruk's eyes widened with a gasp as Zelda refuted, "I am not! …anymore."

"Ha ha, ever the little scholar," Urbosa chuckled easily as she readied the rucksack that contained the tent, strapping it to her own backpack, "Look, we've already got  _one_  quest- and a sizeable one at that. One mystery at a time, please."

Zelda nodded, "I suppose you're right. Well, Mipha, Urbosa was sort of our point-guy last time, so I suppose you're up?"

"O-Oh!" Mipha replied nervously, eying Link in order to gain some courage, "I- I mean, once we reach the river, sure."

Smiling, Zelda nodded, "Awesome! We'll be counting on you."

Such a weight that was, Mipha thought. Still, such a feeling slowly began to be negating in the number of stolen glances Mipha took toward Link as the Company finished packing up their camp. Whenever she had a chance, she did her best to find him in her sight, having grown to yearn for that warmth within her chest whenever his eyes replied with a glance of his own. Ever since they'd kissed, affirmed their mutual desire to be closer to one another, it was all the Zora woman could think about now that this Hylian's warm body was little more than a few words away from being against her own. Oftentimes, it wasn't even words that separated them; on the way to the Crenel pass, Mipha would simply allow her gait to press closer to Link's, her scales catching the faintest bit of warmth exerted from Link's skin, until they were well behind the others (due in no small part to these distracted struts) when Link would eventually wrap an arm around Mipha's shoulders and pull her into a half-hug. These moments would very nearly cause Mipha to collapse between the warmth balled up in her stomach and the nerves.

The question of how secret their dealings needed to be didn't come up, probably due to how silly it was to even consider revealing such a thing. Even if she were no longer required to marry in the same way now afforded to her brother, Mipha was nevertheless royalty, and therefore expected to marry along similar lines. It was taboo enough for the Zora to ever consider forfeiting intraspecies relationships in favor of courting foreigners, but for a Princess? Such things might amount to heresy, Mipha already understood, as did Link. After all, to sacrifice the Zoran bloodline for somebody non-Zora was tantamount to genocide.

Of course, these were things to be left within the enclosed mountains of Lanayru, but even among the Company, the two were rather apprehensive of revealing much for fear of teasing, or worse, fear of the word getting out, particularly with the lot of them now advancing toward Zora's Domain. Simply to remain at ease, they decided to keep quiet, though it became progressively difficult during the course of all their stolen glances, and intensely so during the night when the temperature dropped and Mipha's very biology compelled her to hunt for warmth.

The most superior source of such things, to her, obviously being the man not two or three sleeping packs away.

And as the Company pressed on, this was the state of things between these two star-crossed lovers. Even as Zelda's request for her to lead seemed indomitable, Mipha now knew she wasn't alone to carry these weights of the world upon her shoulders. All she had to do was look toward Link, and he would be sure to nod in reply, if not outright smile for her, and she would feel as though she could conquer even those octorocks that waddled on land. Even as the Company pressed on, she couldn't help but mosey around camp for a brief moment, praying that Link was doing the same. They shared a quick kiss when nobody was looking.

And so it was.


	21. A Divine Test

Zelda's eyes continued to turn toward Link's back whenever he managed to walk ahead of her, her attention drawing along the tracing edges of the sword hanging from his shoulder, concealed as it was beneath a roll of fabric. She wished he would unfurl its encasing bolt of blessed linen and allow her full disclosure to gaze upon the Master Sword, though his ability to wield the sword meant he'd been chosen by the blade, and his will be done, even if it meant hiding the weapon from any prying eyes. Still, she couldn't help but stare whenever the feeling arose, trying to make out its shape beneath Link's rucksack.

Urbosa's speech broke the Princess from her trance, "Why don't you just touch it already?"

"W-What?!" Zelda sputtered in shock, though her embarrassment only further charged the innuendo that the others heard.

Her surprise successful, Urbosa laughed, "You keep checking out that sword every chance you get."

"Indeed, she does," Daruk nodded in elation of his observation, "Just the other night, I caught her with a spoon dangling from her mouth as we ate dinner, unable to tear herself away from the allure of holy metal."

Frowning at their presumed teasing, Zelda crossed her arms, "So? It was the first thing that got me into history. I mean, you can't blame me for being intrigued by it."

"I wasn't blaking you for your interest, but your inaction," Urbosa smirked, gesturing toward Link, "So long as the boy's a member of our Company now-"

Link's head rolled along his shoulders alongside a groan, "Three days. I figured I'd get at least a week in before you two began pulling the 'he's a member now' card…"

"Such power you have," Urbosa suggested lightly, brushing a hand against Zelda's shoulder.

Zelda frowned, "Even if he allowed me to see it unconcealed, it's not as if I could study it any differently than back at the castle. Only Link can wield it; it would merely leave my grasp were I to try."

"Pah, you speak of that accouchement as if it were alive and holding a personality," Revali complained.

Shrugging in reply, Zelda answered, "I mean, it kind of does. Not only does it choose who can wield it, but there are degrees to its acceptance or denial. If it finds you particularly unworthy, of even its presence, it's been known to draw soldiers clear away from the altar. Other times it allows some to view it, others can't catch a glimpse without a feeling of conviction compelling their leave."

Link's eyes turned toward Revali with a suggestive glance, leaving the Rito to frown, "I know what you're thinking, Hylian, and I presume to think you believe you're rather smart. I can assure you, no harm would come to me were I to come near the thing; how can the great Rito people  _not_  be worthy of such a thing? and in particular, the most resilient of the Rito? Legends tell of  _many_  powerful weapons wielded by the Rito; that sword of yours would cower against any number of them."

At words that might very well be sacrilege, Zelda's eyes widened in disbelief, even if she knew the Rito had little to no reverence for such relics, her attention drawing quickly toward the Master Sword as though to check to see if its feelings had been hurt. Link's glare turned rather mischievous as he watched Revali fluff up his plumage in a show of superiority, though it was Urbosa who offered the challenge.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Urbosa shrugged, turning her head to hide a smirk.

Zelda's hands flew out from her sides, waving is quick dismissal, "That-! Our sacred relics are not toys to be trifled with! The Master Sword is not-! Link!"

Her mouth dropped as Link began sliding the sword's sheath from his shoulder, "Link! What do you think you're doing?!"

"I think preparing dinner," he smirked, "Fried cucoo with all the fixings, if what I think will happen truly happens."

At such bravado, Revali's scowl brightened tremendously into a fierce sneer of his own, "Look at the rostrum on  _this_  Hylian! Presenting his weapon to facilitate my deconstruction of its power!"

The Rito began rubbing the palms of his paws together as Link unraveled the fabric concealing the sword, all the while leaving Zelda to having spun away, covering her face as if to hide from such lack of decorum. Mipha looked on from afar, her brow rising as the sword appeared from within its linen safeguard, its sheath doing little to reflect the magnificent blade held within. Her lips pursed with intrigue, even as Zelda began to chide.

"Y-You-! You said it would remain only with you at all times!" she spoke up in a rush, having looked over her shoulder for only a brief moment.

Urbosa reached over to pat the Princess on her shoulder, scoffing, "It isn't going anywhere."

"Oh, the Gerudo speak falsehoods," Revali challenged happily, "As per Rito tradition, should you take a weapon into the sky, it becomes your own. I'm all too excited to claim this weapon as my own; all the better to cease all discussion of it being better than any Rito artifact."

Link carefully rested the sheathed weapon on a nearby rock, stepping away with his fists resting atop his hips while his eyes skeevily narrowed up toward Revali in expectation. The Rito proudly raised his arms into the air, cocking his head toward Daruk.

"Goron, please remove the pack from my shoulders," he ordered, his attention still on the sword.

Daruk did so, his expression more in curiosity than anything else, wanting to see just how true the words were of this weapon's power. He held Revali's backpack to his side while watching the Rito rolling his shoulders, stepping up toward the lone rock which now held the Master Sword, his big talk finally about to add to his prestige- his children's children would be telling tales of his renown, beginning with this moment here; demonstrating his dominance over the most notable symbols of privilege levied to Hyrule by the gods, a symbol used for generations to the benefit of Hyrule rather than the Rito.

"Observe," Revali spoke up as he strode toward the sword, earning him a smirk from Link.

Mipha's lips quivered in worry, unsure of what exactly would happen. Would he literally burst into flame?! She looked toward Urbosa, whose crossed arms belied her own grinning face, much to the Zora's immense terror. For her own part, Urbosa was merely happy to witness Revali's pride being checked, by an inanimate object no less. Though, behind her amused expression, she wondered if the same was true of Link, or if the Hylian was legitimately happy of the prospect of this man being somehow punished by the sword, particularly now that Link no longer had that barrier of not exactly being on the same level when it came to his membership within the Champions.

Zelda's own curiosity got the better of her, as well as a bit of worrisome expectation, her hand grasping the blanket beneath her backpack, just in case it was needed to smother any flames, despite the fact that nothing of the sort had ever happened to anybody attempting to take the sword into their grasp.

As Revali approached the sword, every step of his weakened Link's determined expression, the Rito's gait taking him closer to the weapon than Link ever thought he would end up. If Revali was worried, Link couldn't read it upon his face; Revali's face remained as tenacious as when he started, even now as he stood above the blade, staring down upon it as if his elevated stare was a demonstration of superiority.

To be sure, Revali's insides were aquiver, roiling with worry as he mulled over actually reaching down and taking the sword. Remaining composed in the face of such nerves was nothing of a challenge by this point in his life. He remembered not a week or so ago, taking flight in that sandstorm in the face of lightning barreling toward him, with only his determination shielding him.

He remembered how terrified he was, yet he went on.

"I'm not awaiting further invitation," Revali spoke up, cracking the joints in his neck before throwing his hand toward the blade, "This sword belongs to-"

His speech came to a sudden halt, characterizing his immense shock that matched much the same emotion within all the others. Link's eyes flew open in surprise; Zelda's hands were atop her face, tears forming at her eyes from the already churning emotions within her, now punctuated by Revali's talonous hands gripping the handle of the sword.

"W-" Urbosa managed quietly, her loss of words as unbecoming of her as the lock of horrified surprise upon her face, "What?"

Revali's expression varied very slightly, his eyes looking around as though to check if he was sincerely in reality, before his face jumped up to meet Link's aghast expression, the Rito never one to shy away from showboating; his surprise immediately melting into elation.

"Wah ha! How about that?!" Revali charged with a boisterous voice, the plumes at his neck still curled from either terror or excitement, "I done told you, Hylian! The Rito have been subjugated beneath the weight of this weapon for long enough! With this blade in my grasp, I will-!"

"Try lifting it up, genius," Link drolly instructed, his surprise having left quickly enough for him to examine the situation fully.

Sure enough, while his grip was fierce around the Master Sword's handle, Revali was still hunched low to meet its place atop the small boulder, this new challenge forcing Revali to curl his lips determinately, "I was getting to that! Behold, my-! My-!"

The muscles in his arm bolstered as he tugged, the sword refusing to obey as he did so. It was as though he were yanking at some earthen beam ejected from the side of a cliff face; no matter what he did, from whatever angle, the blade failed to budge, resting atop the stone in sheer defiance of physical laws, much to Revali's frustration.

Urbosa sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow, "False alarm, everybody."

"N-No!" commented Zelda as she rushed toward the sword, crouching down to examine where Revali's body met the blade, even as the Rito continued growling with boisterous effort, "For the rarity of somebody wielding this blade, somebody simply taking it like this is just about as rare! Even this hasn't been witnessed for generations, not until my father attempted it! This is truly amazing!"

"Amazing?!" Revali sputtered angrily, yanking mightily enough that Daruk was worried he'd dislocate his shoulder, "I would  _not_  define this as-!"

With another intense tug, Revali's grip slipped and he stutter stepped backwards, attempting to catch himself with his feet before falling and slamming into the ground, quickly pushing himself to his feet to lessen the time he was atop the soil and immediately brushing his tail feathers as he kept his gaze low, averting the glances from the others, even if they were mostly in worry.

"…This means nothing," was all he'd say as he continued his truncated preening.

Zelda's rabid curiosity continued, her attention now turning toward Urbosa, "You! Come here!"

"I beg your pardon?!" Urbosa replied incredulously.

With a rushed voice, as though data points were a drug, Zelda explained, "Just try and grab it, too."

"Are you serious?!" challenged Urbosa, "Didn't you  _just_  say that this thing was  _not_  a toy?"

"Science is not a game!" Zelda explained before turning toward Daruk, "How about you? Wanna try?"

Daruk gave something of a weary glance before shrugging, "I cannot deny my curiosity over this weapon's composition. I will happily assist you if it means acquainting me as such!"

Gleefully enough, Zelda clapped her hands together as she remained seated directly beside the sword, with even Link growing rather lost in disbelief at her sudden about face from moments earlier. Sure enough, Daruk's hand rested along the Master Sword's grip, much to his elation, not so much in his ability to do so, but in its implication that he was a part of something larger than himself, it seemed.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, "What, does this mean I was the right choice for this venture?"

Zelda rubbed her jaw as her eyes narrowed in inquiry, "I suppose so. I can't think of much else being the reason, honestly. Perhaps the sword understands what's going on, and you all being party with its wielder, is acknowledging the roles you all play at his side?"

Further investigation was necessary, as signaled by her still-ferocious curiosity, leaving Zelda to return to Urbosa, "You. Now."

Scoffing, Urbosa acquiesced, perhaps due to her own nerves having somewhat been quelled by two people's inconsequential taking of the sword, "Fine, fine. Just don't blame me if it tears my arm off, or- Huh."

Much like the others, her hand took the blade without incident, though her jolting movements to lift it were also met with disobedience by the blade, leaving her to muse, "Belligerent little sword, isn't it?"

"This- This is amazing!" Zelda finally quipped, as though the gravity of the situation was finally settling in, "I thought the sword choosing Link was merely destiny taking place, but-! But this entire venture of ours, it  _must_  be divined just the same, right?! or at least accepted as righteous by some deity, right?!"

She leapt to her feet excitedly, quickly turning toward Mipha, who jumped in surprise by Zelda's rabid behavior, "Mipha, quick! You've gotta try it!"

"I- I don't think-" Mipha weakly acknowledged, much to Zelda's impatience in the face of knowledge.

"C'mon! You're a Champion as well; it'll work for you, too!" Zelda explained as she grabbed hold of the sword herself to double check its efficacy and finding herself still able to do so.

Urbosa shrugged as she smiled reassuringly toward Mipha, "It's a nice feeling. You can't lift it, but you can still feel its weight in the palm of your hand. There's many eons in that blade; how often do you get a chance to clutch something like that?"

Still unsure, Mipha nervously rubbed her hands up and down her sides before slowly stepping toward the sword, with Zelda goading her on as she did so. Her eyes raised just enough to break underneath her crest, catching Link's eyes upon her with expectation, the softest smile greeting her as she watched him, leading to a similar expression from her, albeit lessened by the gravity of the situation surrounding her. Still, it brought a warmth to her heart, helping to melt away her insecurities as she came up to the sword, looking over it, scrutinizing its mighty frame, even despite its raggedy sheath.

"By the gods, how exciting is this?" Zelda was still musing aloud, "Forget Link being the…well, link between this Company and its divine mission; this is, like, a link between us all!"

Link replied with bemusement, "About how long were you waiting to use my name like that?"

Giggling slightly, Zelda answered, "Nearly as long as I've known you. Every time you mention how I should do my morning calisthenics, I want to say you're the 'link' between my dad and me."

A droll expression met her, leaving Zelda to laugh even more, though it stopped immediately upon realizing what was happened outside of their conversation. A cold, sharp pain caught her in the chest as she noticed Mipha's face, clouded with tears as her hand remained hanging in the air, seemingly unable to advance toward the sword's hilt. Her body visible strained as she pushed herself forward, only to be met with some unseen resistance, leaving her teeth to grit in pain as she desperately attempted to hold back her tears while violently attempting to take the sword herself.

A whimper escaped her as she made one final push, but to no avail. In defeat, her muscles lost their strain, seemingly in time with her furious resistance against crying, but not, her determination waned, she stood there with her head bowed low, clutching her torso with her arms with shaking shoulders, shivering as tears fell to the ground.

"I-" Zelda desperately attempted, but to no avail, her voice falling as quickly as it had arisen.

Urbosa stepped toward the anguished Zora and slowly allowed her arms to embrace her, hoping to offer something of comfort as the group began to sort out what all had just transpired. While the lot of them were merely thinking of the Champions themselves, as well as the Master Sword, Link's heart ached, intuiting what Mipha herself must have been torturing herself over at the moment. After their kiss, he knew their fates were tied; it was a conclusion he would have fought and died for.

But why, then, did this fate now seem so at odds with his destiny?


	22. The Tracings of Two Lost Kids

The mood remained somber as night fell upon Hyrule, the Champions making up camp in near silence with Mipha's anguish permeating throughout the entirety of the group. For all their differences, Mipha had, from the beginning, been the one of the group who'd truly bound them all together in her cordial, quiet manner, even when it came to Revali, who remained rather quiet himself, though that might have simply been to follow the other's lead. Even then, her friendly gesture back in the desert of the Gerudo had endeared him somewhat to her, and her sadness wasn't lost on him.

Atop the ridge that just created along the higher edge of Northern Lanayru Lowlands, they had worked their way off the path to set up camp, now imbibing in dinner despite the shaken atmosphere. Mipha remained distant, citing her waning appetite before meandering off to be alone, much to the others' distress, though they ultimately figured she needed time alone, and even then, they needed time to talk themselves.

"I just hate it for her," Urbosa muttered somberly as she stirred her bowl of soup with a lazy cadence, "Poor thing. She's placed so much importance on such a trivial thing. relatively speaking, anyway."

Daruk peered off into the distance to try and find her amidst the rocky landscape, shrouded in shadow, before taking another bite of his own meal, "You think she'll start feeling better soon?"

"Not likely," Urbosa shrugged, "Even if it's trivial, there's more to it than just holding a sword. We all did something she couldn't; even before the importance of the act, that already paints her as an outcast, through no fault of our own."

Frowning as he stared sadly into his bowl, his soup absent of disruption, Daruk went on, "I just think shed feel better eating something with us. That usually does the trick for me."

"She just needs time," Link assured, crouched over the pot of simmering porridge with his hand carefully roaming along with a ladle dipping within his cauldron, "She does her best thinking alone, away from our loud mouths."

The mild slurping from Revali dipping his face into his bowl grew to a fever pitch as he pulled away, staring Link down with a cool voice, "I was told by  _your_  Princess to point out whenever I feel as though I'm being transgressed upon."

Link shrugged, "I said  _our_  loud mouths.  _Our_."

Seemingly content with his enunciation, Revali slowly lowered his head to finish his soup before Link mumbled loud enough for the Rito to hear, "I only  _implied_  that it was you."

In an act of defiance, Revali turned his bowl over to allow the remaining broth to spill onto the ground before sitting the porcelain dish onto the ground, turning his nose up as he muttered, "Apologies."

"Okay, you two," Urbosa groaned, taking the reins, "Cut it out. Everybody's a bit down in the dumps, let's just-"

Link's indifference caught Urbosa off guard, allowing him to interject, "Why? It's like a wake out here. Look, Mipha's the strongest person I know- that I've  _ever_  known. Sure she's down, but she always comes back better for it."

Urbosa glared at him with uncertainty, simply taking him at his word as she sighed, huddling over her own bowl with dismissal, "If you say so. You know her better than-"

"No, no…" came Zelda's gentle voice, forcing Urbosa's attention away from the others to find the Princess presiding over a stone cold bowl of soup without a single bite having been taken.

Urbosa frowned, "Ever the scholar. Even scholars eat, you know."

Jolting to attention, Zelda's wide eyes turned up toward the others, "Oh, uh, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About food?" Daruk joked, hoping go improve the situation as gingerly as he could, now that he had something of Link's permission to do so, "That's about the only thing that can keep  _me_  from eating!"

Zelda shook her head, "Not food, just- The Master Sword was the first thing that  _really_  grabbed my interest, you know? got me into studying as much as I have. I constructed all these ideas, basically theorems, surrounding the sword's behavior, but- After today, it just seems like all that time was wasted."

"How do you mean?" Urbosa inquired.

"Well, it was something akin to psychology, just- on a sword," admitted Zelda with a shaky voice, signaling her awareness at how silly it sounded, "I mean, I was pretty naïve as a child, but if I've been sitting here thinking. After what happened earlier, I don't know, I always thought it was stupid, but maybe there's something to all that. Think of it this way-"

She paused, scratching her chin in thought, "We know the Master Sword is divinely created to withstand any test of time. It has marks of alteration, yet remains a singular piece. Were the Goddesses to make such a creation, what good would it be to remain unchanging when everything around us is doing the opposite? Why wouldn't the Sword be given something like a consciousness to allow it to change itself? I thought about this just the other day- What if Link was dead and-"

"Excuse me?" Link interjected with incredulity.

Zelda was quick to reassure him, "It was just a thought ex-"

"Link, you'd best watch out," Daruk laughed, "Even I have noticed how she glares at you with the blankest of expressions."

Widened eyes met the others as Zelda shone shock, leaving Urbosa to laugh, "Leave it to our scholar to have no tact when it comes to such devious plans."

"They're not-" Zelda groaned, having already recognized their teasing and deciding to simply relinquish any reaction to such things, "Look, if Link had died, or  _anybody_  upon whom Hyrule's destiny was entrusted-"

Urbosa wondered in interruption, "But if it's destiny, as you propose- how would a chosen one even be such if not guided by some divine force?"

"You mean that, to be chosen is to be made immortal so as to carry out the goddesses' plans?" Daruk opined.

Urbosa's glance suddenly turned toward Link, whose stirring motion suddenly halted under the combined weight of stars coming from her and Daruk, "…what?"

Urbosa quickly explained, "Nothing! Though, now we know why Zelda was planning on attacking you in your sleep."

"I wasn't-!"

"Bwah ha! Her experiments certainly have taken a dark turn!" Daruk laughed heartily.

Having crossed her arms in irritation, Zelda frowned, "Okay, so  _no_ , that's  _not_  what I was planning. It was a  _thought_   _experiment_ , alright? If,  _IF_ , Link had died- if  _any_  of the heroes of old had died- would the Master Sword had been so obstinate so as to not allow somebody else to wield it? Obviously not, otherwise a darkness would have already fallen upon our world so myasmic that our very ancestors would have choked from that absence of the light."

"So what are you saying?" Link wondered aloud, his voice feigning interest while his mind was sincere in inquiry.

Zelda's lips tightened for a moment, "The Master Sword is guided by some consciousness, one that knows to change its…thoughts in accordance to the shifting world around it. Had we not began this journey, perhaps these three might not have acquired that level of ability to handle the Sword."

"That still leaves the problem we were faced with upon the onset of this very conversation," Urbosa shrugged, taking a sip of her broth in a show of the dramatic, "The Sword still refused Mipha's touch."

Zelda sighed weakly, dropping her head, "That's true. Even if that might change in the future, it still means little more than the idea that she is lesser than us. Somehow she isn't worthy of-"

Catching herself, Zelda's eyes jumped toward Link, watching his emotionless face staring into his cauldron with but the faintest sensation of yearning in his eyes. She felt a chill, wondering what might be going through the man's mind; she hadn't known him to be one capable of such things as companionship, at least beyond that kind that is compelled by authority, but here he was, Zelda knew, in something of a relationship with Mipha, who now seemed as much an outcast as Link had a week earlier. Perhaps he felt something of an affinity with her as a result, or maybe something else entirely.

" _Worthy_. Pah," Daruk grumbled languidly, steadily eating from his Bowl, "We Gorons know nothing of worthiness, at least when it comes to the divine. Our history is strewn about with great beings who did not wait for the call of divine right! They barred their teeth and hoistened their muscles and etched their very names into our history! I ought to go tell her that she needn't wait for that Sword, or anybody's, approval to carve out her own history!"

Revali sputtered in gawking skepticism, "Ah yes, regale her of those great Gorons who refused to part with their most valuable wares until passers-by learned their dance moves- I cannot believe my mind has left a spot where that information lies…"

Still heated, Daruk all but ignored the Rito's complaint, continuing, "My earliest teachers, they all told me, again and again, that those Goron heroes were aberrations- that I shouldn't seek the same fortune for myself- that  _no_  Goron should! My father, Komimba, he- he-"

Visibly shaking with frustration, Daruk hunched over as he raised a hand, rubbing the tips of his fingers just enough to begin sprinkling the tiniest of particles from their abrasions, "He told me, son- Son, you are nothing but rock and sand. Don't dare invite death by thinking otherwise. I hate the thought of Mipha feeling the way I felt."

He dropped his head with a sigh, "I wish I hadn't ever attempted to grab that sword."

His words tugged at the research centers of Zelda's brain, a frown making it's way to her face as she replied quietly, "I mean, it sucks, but- If I've found out anything, it's that knowing more isn't always fun, but it's necessary to protect ourselves. to protect everyone."

"You have a point," Urbosa nodded, "Though I doubt everybody would agree the tradeoff is worth it. There are still pockets of unrest by Hylians upset over your Kingdom funding those massive excavation projects."

A knowing grin crossed her face, "I think most people would be happy in that bliss of not knowing what they ought to."

Revali cleared his throat, "I do believe I'm feeling transgressed upon again."

"I assure you," Urbosa chuckled, rising to her feet with her bowl in hand to make her way toward the fire for seconds, "That says much more about you than it does me, Rito."

Revali rolled his head along his shoulders in bemusement while Urbosa crouched down opposite Link around the cauldron, taking the ladle from him before working up another helping. Her attention remained on the soup she was collecting, though shifted upward toward Link as her eyes jumped upward, catching his distant glance with amusement, hiding a smirk as she carefully lifted up her next portion.

"Y'know," she muttered quietly, the crackling flames disguising her voice from the others, "Even the strongest among us don't mind a helping hand once in a while."

Link's eyes lit back to reality as he watched the Gerudo with confusion, unable to ascertain what she was getting at. Her smirk no longer hidden, Urbosa simply poured her next helping before dropping the large spoon into the cauldron, allowing her attention to fall wholly onto Link.

"Especially when it's somebody they're infatuated with."

Suddenly, a groan escaped Link as his face took on a droll expression, "How much did she tell you?"

"Enough," Urbosa grinned, "You should already know Zelda tells me everything."

Attempting to hide his face by burying his head toward his chest, Link shook his head in disbelief of his impudence, though Urbosa was quick to cheer him up, "Come on now. You might as well make the best of this sticky situation and take her some soup, see if she's okay. Someone as cheery as she doesn't do such things without reason."

Link remained stoic in his stubbornness, resulting from such a blind-sided revelation, though in a moment's passing, he raised his head before standing up, "Daruk."

"Wha-?! Why me?!" cried the Goron, leaving Link's eyes to widen in surprise.

An awkward air permeated for a brief moment before Zelda spoke up to ease the atmosphere, "I, uh, just asked who among us denizens of Hyrule would ever attempt to dissuade the goddess' authority over the Master Sword, but-…"

Link sighed, his shoulders visibly slumping in defeat before explaining further, "Daruk. I liked your idea about taking Mipha some soup, so I'll handle that."

The group was met with a rather odd sound, that of Revali suddenly breaking into something of a genuine laugh, his body slouching forward as he held his stomach, "Bwah ha ha! Ha!"

Swiping away a tear, he spoke up with dour glee, "Your misunderstandings amuse me greatly! Please, continue to unknowingly denigrate one another in my presence!"

Link turned toward Zelda, "Okay, now  _I_  feel slighted."

Groaning, Zelda refused to give much of anything in the way of a formal reply, simply allowing the others to continue their charged teasing amongst one another, "Just- go make sure Mipha's okay, alright?"

"Yes ma'am!" Urbosa answered for him with a tattered giggle, attempting to disguise her exhilaration, "He'd be thrilled to do so, wouldn't you?"

Link forced a severe glance toward her, which only seemed to bring forth even more laughter to be stifled, before readying another bowl of soup and turning off to where Mipha had gone to seek solitude, ignoring any further demands upon his irritation.

The darkness clouded his vision immediately upon treading away from the camp, the chilly air also greeting him simultaneously upon exiting the campfire's inviting air. The bowl in his hands seemed that much more scalding now that the cold air bit at his skin, and in an attempt to keep warm, he brought the soup up high for the steam to rise against his face, even if such a practice did little in the open air. He knew the night air rolled fierce down from the Eldin Mountains; such sweltering heat rising up to cool before charging down the mountainside to rush over the landscape of the Lanayru Lowlands, which was little more than a basin of winter-like air no matter the season.

The chilly air of this locale often greeted a contented Link whenever he came across this portion of Hyrule, though tonight, for whatever reason, the cold was less welcoming to him than it often was. Perhaps he was thinking of Mipha's cold blood battling these elements, such a thought rattling his nerves to begin with, the idea forcing his own body to grow more frigid than normal. In any case, he regretted not having the forethought to bring a blanket to accompany the soup he'd made sure to bring in offering.

He grinned at the thought:  _in_   _offering_. Were she any other friend, this gesture would have been auspicious at best; he'd simply be ensuring his friends were as well off as he to keep the collective as strong as possible- it was simply a matter of being in Link's best interest. Now, however, with Mipha, it became something far more meaningful, something he hadn't ever come to know.

His steps had taken him far enough that he'd begun to question his direction, gradually increasing the swings of his head in lookout before coming to a complete stop as his body slowly turned in place, only pausing at the solemn timbre of Mipha's voice crossing his ear just before being overpowered by the gentle breeze surrounding him.

"Hey."

Link followed the softened sound to a small enclosure made in the cliffside where Mipha had made her temporary shelter away from the bellowing winds, the soldier's gait cautious as to not spill anything while traversing the rocky ground beneath his feet.

"Hey," Link replied in unison, "I brought you some soup, so- Figured I'd check up on you."

A loose smile found its way to Mipha's lips, "I was sort of surprised they hadn't had a search party out hunting me down."

"Yeah, well; Daruk might have headed such a thing, but cooler heads prevailed," Link shrugged before bowing forward to offer his culinary creation to Mipha, "Speaking of cooler heads- That ought to warm you up. Should you be this far removed from a fire in this cold?"

Mipha examined the frothy mixture with quiet expectation, tugging at the think blanket around her shoulders, "I should be fine."

Nodding in reply, Link took a seat beside the wayward Zora as she gently took hold of her spoon, her delicate movement accompanying her words as she spoke up, "I know I look it, but- I know they all think I'm not all that strong or capable."

"Probably," Link scoffed, smirking in recollection, "They wouldn't exactly be the first ones. Might as well be a pattern for you, wouldn't it? Who was it- We were kids and that one Zora boy was giving you flack for being a princess wanting to play whatever it was. I think that just made you more angry that you weren't included."

Mipha nodded, her pursed lips blowing atop her spoon allowing her to conceal a crooked grin, "He had it coming for telling me I was "little lithe pole", really."

Smiling, Link dropped his head as he relaxed his posture, leaning back against the stone wall behind him while quietly keeping to himself, listening to the weak, polite slurping coming from Mipha's tasting. Her insides immediately lit up with warmth as the broth noticeably traced down into her stomach, the rushing sensation forcing Mipha's scales to shiver in surprised delight. She eyed the soupy mixture with awe, wondering how it was this proper soldier had managed to create something so unbecoming of the craft.

"Thank you," she spoke up quietly.

"Anytime," Link assured easily.

She took another, heartier bite as the two of them sat together quietly, with Mipha enjoying Link's company, particularly due to his body heat being just noticeable enough that her fins quivered whenever she noticed his radiating energy upon her scales. For his part, Link simply enjoyed listening to Mipha's eating growing ever more improper as she hastened her bites, possibly due to how tasty she'd found his dish. He did his best to hide a grin after a particularly sour slurp escaped her routine, forcing her to jump in surprise.

"S-Sorry!" she apologized at the ungraceful occurrence, though Link was quick to assure her of the opposite.

Shaking his head, Link replied, "Please, the others eat like fiends after a long day's trek. You could pour that thing over your face and hold more decorum, still."

The imagery enough to bring her humor, Mipha giggled lightly at the thought, "It  _is_  good though. I hate the thought of it losing its warmth."

"There's plenty more over the fire for when you're ready to come back to camp," Link explained, "Assuming Urbosa and Daruk haven't licked the insides of cauldron dry."

His eyes turned up toward her, "You  _are_  returning, correct?"

"Of course!" Mipha quickly interjected, though her rising voice was bellied by her sudden return to her dour mood, "I just-…"

Link watched her with furrowed brow, "Hey. What's up? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Mipha assured quickly before taking in a sigh, "I mean- Yeah. I'm okay…"

Uncertain how to progress, Link remained silent as Mipha's slumped frame hung over her meager meal, his eyes watching her sadly as he recalled that miserable look she'd had after being denied the Master Sword earlier in the day. He didn't feel defeated, but knew better than to force an answer upon her, deciding that him simply being there might be enough to quell whatever nerves were within her. Such foreign ideas to Link as relationships with others, he now surmised, left him with little in the way of intuiting what to do in such situations. As solitude returned between the two, Link grasped at his sword, tapping its opposite end into the dirt absent-mindedly as he thought of what to say, his eyes fixed upon the shining blade that just escaped the sheath every time he raised it from the soil.

"You know, on my way over here, I was thinking," Link muttered quietly, "If I just took this sword- and threw it. as hard as I could. If I threw it clear across Hyrule, even. Would it somehow find me again? Even if it took years, would it be discovered somewhere, bartered around, with some divine force compelling me to find it in a shop somewhere."

Mipha's eyes watched him curiously as he went on, "I don't know; it's just a thought. I just-"

He felt a biting cold nipping at his spine, wondering for the briefest of moments whether or not it was the Sword communicating with him somehow, "I spent my entire life fulfilling what I thought was my destiny, and now-"

His hands lifted the sword upward, "Now this thing comes into my life. It's supposed to give me some higher purpose, I suppose, but- I think I feel more lost than I ever did when I was a knight."

Slowly dropping the sword back toward the ground, his grip tightened as his voice returned, lowly enough, "Seeing it cause you pain, I just- It wasn't a good feeling."

The blustery wind howled with every pass before the small indention of rock in which the two sat, the cold ever worsening as the night progressed. Mipha's heart tugged at the thoughts roiled about in her head, thinking of her declaration to Zelda about just how high in regard she'd been holding Link, especially when it came to something of a destiny. Even after figuring out he'd loved her too; even after feeling his lips upon her own. She cared for little more than Link's future, which carried infinitely more stock alongside the Master Sword than with her. Perhaps that had been what had hurt so much about earlier in the day…

"Really…Link," Mipha spoke up weakly, "If the time ever arose… You should toss me away before that Sword."

Link's attention quickly jerked toward her with a start, "What-? Mipha, I'd-"

"That Sword is more important than I'll ever hope to be. If we're talking only of logistics," Mipha grinned with a heart wrenching subtlety, "As any good knight should-"

Link held the Master Sword up with a vigor that forced Mipha to pause with surprise, thinking that he might toss it, though his motion was only accompanied by a swift, serious voice, "This Sword knows I won't do that- Throw it away, I mean. If I'm able to carry this thing, that means it somehow knowingly tied itself to me as much as I bound my own fate to it when I lifted it from its altar."

"Now," Link went on seriously, lowering the Sword and cautiously resting it on the rocky ground, "I love you. I've always been wildly obsessed with the mere chance of being able to see and be around you. That's non-negotiable, so- That Sword is just going to have to learn that, regardless of its poor taste or judge of character, I'm never leaving your side."

Mipha grim smile remained, though a slight giggle at Link's sudden boyishness helped soften its place along her lips, "You're arguing with an inanimate object."

"Yeah, well-" Link suddenly stammered, realizing how ridiculous it had sounded, "Zelda has some ideas that that might not be the case. She was thinking it can change who it, you know, 'likes', just in case somebody who's  _supposed_  to wield it dies or something. Basically, there might be more to this thing, but-"

He steeled his resolve, chivalry pouring from his tone, "I would still argue with inanimate objects for you."

Finally broken from her spell, overcome by Link's serious tone contrasting with how silly his words were, Mipha gave a quick start before laughing, leaning forward as she held onto her stomach from the sheer severity of the boisterous sensation. Link simply smiled as he watched her, quickly reaching over to grab hold of her soup bowl before it vibrated free of her grasp.

"I- I-" she managed between breathless gasps, "I never knew knights were afforded such things as humor."

Shrugging, Link replied, "Well, you should already know how- what was it- how 'uncouth' I am for a Royal Knight. "

Mipha's eyes met his as her face was still greeted by joyful spasms of laughter, thinking of that night they shared at the oasis, "I suppose 'unbecoming' might be more appropriate. That's not as negative, I don't think."

"Perhaps," Link nodded, turning away to hide his face, "Regardless, I've long grown to admire your smile, so- Just seemed natural I'd figure out how to keep it showing."

Mipha's lips curled into a sincerely heartfelt smile as she watched him toying with his fingers in his vain attempt at feigning just how cute he was sounding to her. For how much her heart panged at his loyalty and ferocity, it was these moments, the quietest among them, where she had grown to love these hidden shades that so often rested in the shadows of all the personalities Link often surrounded himself with, whether it be a troupe of soldiers, or the Champions themselves.

"You know," began Mipha with a solemn tone, turning her head to match Link's as she followed the stony earth at her feet trailing in zig zags beneath her fins, "Ever since I left Zora's Domain, and I met Daruk on the road to Sanadin Park- Being with all of you is so fun and lively and-…

She paused, "…it's truly been the best days of my life."

Link smiled at her admittance, hoping that, in his own way, he'd done something, even before his own 'official' joining, to increase this wayward Zora's enjoyment of the world. He was helping her learn to write Hylian, which he figured would be a bore, though even that seemed to entice Mipha, who was all too happy to learn such things. How odd she was, he thought to himself for a brief moment, to find amusement in dueling with tridents while also seeking out the quill for her own enjoyment. It was a contrast Link often found in himself, caught between his life as a soldier and the many lives he now found himself caught in between.

"With you…" Mipha managed only barely, her voice lined with uncertainty, and a pang of embarrassment, "Being with you, it's- These have truly been the best nights, as well."

Link couldn't hold back a smile.

He turned toward her only to find her having pulled her blanket up and over her head to hide her embarrassment, which only caused Link to smirk with amusement, "Mipha-"

"S-Sorry!" she quickly allowed, though immediately reverted to silence as her shame consumed her.

"I feel the same way," Link assured easily, holding back a reassuring hand to avoid startling her.

At that admission, Mipha slowly began to bring down her guard, the thick quilt sliding ever so delicately down her crimson-scaled head, stopping only as her eyes peered out overtop the blanket's end, "R-Really?"

"Unless you thought me getting into frigid water was just for fun, then really," Link assured once more with a smile, "I never thought I'd ever really have this kind of- connection with somebody else. Much less somebody so fun and pretty. Somebody I admire."

At the sudden reappearance of Link's shades of personality, Mipha relinquished the rest of her clothen guard, allowing the blanket to fall back to her shoulders as she averted her eyes, "Well… Thank you for the, uh… thought, I suppose. I'll remind you that I'm about as new to this as you are, so-"

"I understand," Link noted with a nod, "That's what makes it fun, though."

Watching the craggy soil below, Link allowed a soft chuckle at the scene playing out between the two of them, which might have seemed an odd pantomime of sorts to anybody else in attendance. For Link though, and perhaps for Mipha herself, it was something far more heartfelt. They'd known one another for most of their lives, or rather, most of Link's, and yet- When it came to love- Link hadn't known much of it growing up with his dutiful parents, while Mipha's loss of her mother seemed to have had something of a similar effect when Link thought about it. Regardless, these two were strangers to love, and yet here they were, in their own way, attempting to create something of a roadmap between two hearts never meant to be joined, anyway.

Link's ears perked up, jolting him awake from his thoughts, as he turned to find Mipha's outstretched arm, holding out her blanket in invitation as she held back something of what might be a blush, her only explanation being, "You, uh, must be cold, right?"

Smiling, Link nodded, "Yes, very much so."

Mipha shivered at his acceptance of her gesture, her scales tingling as Link slowly slid across the small indention of rock they'd been using as seating. Even before their bodies met at the side, she could feel the air around her begin to warm, in something of a preemptive breath and all that might entail. Her fins shook, which forced a rather shameful jolt to gush across Mipha's neck. As carefully as a child meeting a pet for the first time, Link managed as close as he dared, grabbing hold of the opposing edge of the blanket to hold around his shoulder, though quickly discovering that it hadn't exactly been made large enough for such camaraderie. Knowing Mipha's biology, he simply left himself largely uncovered, not daring to steal any warmth from Mipha, though her eyes quickly darted to his far side to discover this all for herself.

"Sorry," she spoke up, "I wasn't even thinking that might be the case."

Link smiled, "It's no big deal."

Frowning in reply, Mipha's eyes turned fierce, "I  _know_  I'm like an ice cube."

"So?" Link smirked back in verbal battle, "I  _know_  I'm like a ball of embers. We cancel each other out, although, as Zelda herself might explain, heat is energy anyway, so my heat will make sure to bring your lack of heat up to match it, not the other way around."

Lifting his nose up humorously, he finished, "So there."

Mipha couldn't help but grin feverishly at his impression of Revali as his body heat began to swirl around her, causing her scales to liven up in cacophonous elation, much as they would during a sun bath. It was a pleasurably relaxing sensation, like receiving a gentle scratch to the back of the scale, though Mipha was so enamored with Link's proximity that she was more embarrassed than relaxed, despite their teasing words.

Both of them coming to terms with their rather presumptuous predicament, they quickly fell into silence as they allowed the cold, billowing air to accompany them with all the noise that was necessary. There was some contentedness, certainly, between them being so close, though Mipha's mind quickly began to whirl as Link's heat forced her body to churn to life.

"I was, uh-" she began quietly, drawing Link's attention as her free arm silently wrapped around his own, "When the Sword wouldn't allow my to grab it… I wasn't jealous or anything, just- I was scared."

Link watched her quietly, subtly pulling their arms against his side to better warm her extremity. Her voice petered out reluctantly, as if she wanted to go on and explain herself to this man, but- Something was still keeping her from doing so. Eventually, she managed once again.

"I'm not-" she started with an aching tone, "I'm not perfect. Nobody is, I know, but- Things have happened that-"

Link's brow turned with sadness at just how difficult this was for her, though she went on, "I was scared that- my life has been taken in directions that will forever make me unworthy. make me un- unable to-"

Her head dropped like an anchor toward her chest as her shoulders quivered, signaling her immediate descent into anguish. Link cautiously leaned over and released the blanket to wrap an arm around her head, pulling her ever-tighter into his chest as he dropped his face against her scalp for any chance at comforting her.

The shakiness in her voice, its tenuously aching timbre, compelled Link to remain silent, not daring to ask anything more of her in explanation for fear of hearing such a daunting tone again. Perhaps, instead, he hadn't the heart to do so. For all his prowess in battle, he hadn't a clue how to fight these sorts of battles. He hadn't the confidence, he knew, to help Mipha fight whatever demons were plaguing her mind.

or perhaps, still, Link was simply afraid. Afraid of what there might be to be found out about this woman who never allowed much of anything to bruise her body, yet didn't seem capable of doing the same for her heart.

All he could do was hold her tightly and mutter something in the way of prayer as she grew quieter in his arms, her shivering gradually calming as his body offered all the warmth he could hope to muster, which he already knew so relaxed her. He nearly jumped as her other hand left the blanket to grab hold of his arm, gently attempting to pull it away.

"Sorry," she explained with a tremored whisper, "You shouldn't have to care for a princess such as me so much."

Link failed to relinquish his hold on her, "Perhaps, but that doesn't mean it's not what I ought to do. You're incredibly strong if you're allowing yourself this much in front of somebody else."

A burst of movement jolted from Mipha as she gave a quick, anguished laugh, "You're still trying to cheer me up."

"Of course," Link offered, "You've already said that you're bound to me. I'm bound to you all the same; holding you is only natural."

He couldn't see her smile, but felt it somehow, through the air, in his heart- just somehow. He smiled sincerely as Mipha began to recover, finding his next chance to better help her recover.

"Okay, you dropped the quilt; now you are an ice cube," he joked, earning him a playful swipe from Mipha as she smiled up at him with swollen eyes, "Look at you."

He carefully reached a hand up to her face, gently pressing the back of his hand against the bottom of her eye to better relieve her of its unsightly appearance after her crying. It was such a fierce warmth upon Mipha's face, forcing her eyes to shut in contented relaxation as she grabbed a hold of Link's wrist to keep her bound to the world of the awoken.

"Look at  _us_ ," Link noted sadly, grinning weakly, "We're just two lost kids making our way in this world."

Mipha's grip tightened.

"You know what you must do," she spoke up, "You have your destiny now. The Master Sword has-"

"I'm lost without you," Link spoke up with weighted breath.

Mipha's eyes opened slowly, her brilliance-colored eyes quivering behind beneath her wonderfully crimson crest as they peered into Link's own uncertain pair, his voice emerging once again, "Hyrule isn't worth you."

"You fool," Mipha replied with a teasing smile, belied by her newly whetted eyes, "I'm just as much a part of Hyrule as anything else."

Link's face lowered in serious resolve, his eyes remaining fixed upon the only opposite pair he'd ever cared to look into, "Hyrule doesn't get me like you do. Goddess knows it isn't nearly as beautiful."

Mipha was unable to withhold a soft chuckle.

"If I carry this thing- What becomes of that destiny which allows me to wake up every morning to see your sleeping face?" Link asked in compelling dreariness, "What about those best nights of my life with you?"

Her hands shaking under the gravity of his words, Mipha reached over to place her certainly-frigid hand against Link's own cheek in emulation, making sure to bring her thumb up to wipe away the tear that had emerged there.

"I don't know," was all she could muster, even if she tried desperately to make it sound far more meaningful that it truly was.

Link nodded, "That's what scares  _me_."

Mipha lowered her head thoughtfully as her hand fell away from her face, again matching Link's own motion as he reached down to grab hold of the blanket to return around her shoulders, "You shouldn't go without-"

Her hands gripping the cragged spot where they sat, Mipha pushed herself to her feet, allowing Link's eyes to watch her with uncertainty as she took a step closer toward him, only a brief moment keeping the two of them parted before she carefully sat atop his leg, swiveling herself to the side so that she was seated atop him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her head against his.

"Cover us," she ordered, much to Link's lingering shock of her sudden audacity.

He did as she said, the blanket fitting perfectly now that the two were taking up much the same space, though it did little to relieve much of the stress now forced upon Link as he attempted to figure out what exactly had occurred. Sure enough, after a few minutes, Mipha's icy skin had become about as warm as Link's own body heat, forcing her to grapple onto Link's head as she would when keeping steady upon a Lanayru stone in the sun.

"Uh, Mipha-" Link began, though his words were cut off by Mipha gently stroking her face against his scalp, allowing his soft hair to brush against her.

She mused quietly, "All of this heat is your own."

Link thought for a moment how intimate such a thing was, though just how indelibly innocent it was brought a soft smile to him at the idea. As a child himself, such warmth was a necessity, but for the Zora, it wasn't. He wondered how he might have been altered, had he been more akin to Revali, who'd been left without such things, yet required it.

Then he thought about how, his entire life, he'd been without Mipha. yet he must have required her.

"Here, you can't go to sleep before we get back to camp," Link mentioned as he shook his entire body to keep Mipha from dozing off atop of him.

"Noooo," she fought back with weakened words.

Link assured her, "Come on, I thought of a game we could play. It'll save us from taking this dour atmosphere back with us."

Taking a moment to consider it, Mipha muttered gracelessly, "Game… Like when we were kids…"

"Pretty much," Link chuckled, "I did say we were just two lost kids, so-…"

Mipha regretfully pulled her head away, leaving her simply sidelong atop Link's lap as his hands tried to find her own beneath the quilt, "This will actually help. You been studying your Hylian?"

Another meandering smile that was rather unbecoming of a princess followed Mipha as she answered, "Of course."

"Well, here," he spoke up as he found her hand, bringing it into his own pair, "I'll trace a character and you try to guess it only by touch. Alright?"

She nodded without tact, allowing Link to draw out a character in her palm before Mipha muttered lazily, "That's 'n… ayyyyy"

Suddenly trapped between a rousing need to laugh and a desperate attempt to keep Mipha in comfort, Link attempting to stifling much of anything by clenching his lips as tight as he could, allowing only a faint chuckling to cause this princess only the slightest discomfort.

"Correct, sort of," Link answered, "How much have you learned?"

Mipha quietly replied in earnest, "Lots…"

Smirking, Link offered a bigger challenge, tracing along a series of words atop her palm this time, turning toward her with a wry sort of tone, "How about n-"

His attention was met with Mipha's sleeping face atop his shoulder. Her eyes closed in weak tension, signaling her trust in him, while her lips just barely broke apart in time with quiet breaths. As though it were natural, her arms remained just at reassuringly tight around Link's neck, though it failed to be a bother. If anything, he much enjoyed it; that feeling of Mipha depending on him as though he were an unmoving stone atop the sunny peaks of Lanayru.

He thought of the letters he'd left her to sleep with, cautiously allowing a gentle kiss to press into her crest, speaking to her in soft assurance, "Don't worry. I'll never stop proving to you what it was it wrote. You'll figure it out soon enough."


	23. The Cult of the Niq

Dawn broke upon the dewy plains of the Lanayru Lowlands, its marshy landscape already broken apart by Hylians trudging out to work their fields, unaware of the rag-tag assortment of Champions preparing for the day's trekking just above the extent of their fields. To be fair, given the night before, most of the Champions weren't exactly aware of the Hylians either; other than Mipha, the rest of the collection were either tired from lack of sleep, or were Revali, whose plumage allowed him a rather restful, deepening sleep at the sensation of being bundled up in the cold. Still lost in his own sleep, Zelda was forced to push herself up to her feet, refusing to go to sleep until Mipha's return was assured, and begin the process of traveling anew.

"Mmmmrgh," chortled Urbosa in a lazy complaint, turning away from Zelda's prodding touch, "Five more minutes…"

Zelda frowned, "You said that-"

A yawn escaped even her.

"-twenty minutes ago…"

Urbosa ignored her plight, leaving Zelda to make her rounds, attempting to rally whomever she could, though only Mipha arose, her restful night having been as assured as her return, thanks to a certain knight. Nevertheless, Zelda unleashed a bedraggled growl if a yawn as she began packing up her belongings, leading to a concerned glance from Mipha, who'd begun much the same.

"Are you sure you don't need some more rest?" she asked plainly.

Zelda assured with an unconvincing twinge of exhaustion in her voice, "No, no. I'm the leader of this troupe- I shouldn't be allowing sleepiness to overcome me anyway."

Unable to withhold a slight giggle at the sight of Zelda swaying back and forth in imbalance as she rolled up her sleeping pack, Mipha muttered quietly as she began assembling her own pack, "Thank you."

"Hmmgrr, for what?" grumbled the tired Zelda in reply.

"Staying up until Link and I returned. I know it was to your detriment this morning, but- it meant a lot," Mipha explained, "I wasn't always one to be waited on growing up, so-"

Zelda eyed her wearily, "Hey, we're Champions. We stick together."

She turned to the others, all currently succumbing to the wiles of slumber, continuing with unease, "…even if it doesn't always seem that way."

Mipha grinned once again, returning her attention to her own equipment as the two fell to silence, varying degrees of energy guiding g them to completion as the others eventually began to arise, an assortment of disgruntled groans emerging as if the morning were an encumbrance better left ignored.

"Five more minutes…" Urbosa complained yet again, awoken by Daruk's rocky pads of hands pushing him to his feet before tearing into the air with a yawn.

"Okay," Zelda suddenly pointed out, "I'm still not in the least bit interested in dissecting Daruk or anything, but isn't anybody else the least bit interested in why Gorons need to yawn?"

Slipping on his boots, Link smirked, "Sounds like a dissecting issue to me."

A boisterous laughter left Daruk as he answered, "I wish there had been work already done to give to you, like biology books or something, but we Gorons don't exactly think in those terms. We think more outwardly, I suppose; we're known for our fantastic rock sirloin, not exactly our introspection."

His face turned in disgust, "Plus, studying our dead? That's a bit creepy."

"I mean, yes, I suppose," Zelda replied, taken aback by how legitimate his observation might have been, "But all the knowledge you might gain by doing so! You could combat diseases, or better know how to help your bodies with-"

Her eyes shrunk in realization, "You don't have diseases, do you?"

"Not unless you count fits of laughter," Daruk answered, almost teasingly, "That might be an epidemic if it does! Bwah ha!"

Zelda eyed Link, who merely grinned in reply, "I believe this is a battle you're never going to win."

Visibly shaken by the prospect of forever untapped knowledge, Zelda curled her lips with discontent while her fingers ran along her closed eyes to better help their weighted exhaustion, leaving Daruk to merrily continue with his preparing for the day, gently pressing a foot against Urbosa's side to bring her back to the waking world.

"Hrmmgll," she answered suspiciously, "Five more minutes…"

Daruk frowned, leaving Mipha to chide quietly, "Speaking of battles one cannot win."

"Enough of this nonsense," Revali suddenly spoke up as he crawled out from his own sleeping bag, remaining on all-fours as he shook bountifully, allowing his plumage to flutter about as though in exhale before rising to his feet, clearing his throat to add some decorum, "Allow me to demonstrate the goddess Vurla's awakening lullaby, sung to our fledglings as they begin their days. Such rambunctious vocals to bring one's soul alight! It's said that, when the wind carries just right, such screechings can be heard across the whole of Hyrule!"

Fighting back tire, Urbosa managed to begin meandering upright, at least finding herself seated as she rubbed her eyes, grumbling lowly to herself, "Please, don't…"

Revali frowned with disappointment, crossing his arms, "Such a shame! Do not worry; perhaps I shall indulge you all at a later time. You know, it is a great honor to hear such a thing at all, much less from a warrior such as myself."

"O-Oh, absolutely!" Zelda replied with worry, "Please, if it isn't too much trouble, we'd all love to hear it, if you'd be so kind."

Link and Urbosa both shot silent glances toward the young Princess, causing Zelda to raise her shoulders in quiet inquiry, their behavioral gone unnoticed as Revali proudly raised his head, "No, no, I shan't be a nuisance by offering such a song beyond the time for awakening! Though, I do suppose a scholar would have need of such things outside of the proper times. Very well, I will recite-!"

"Hey, Mipha!" Urbosa blurted aloud, "I'm going to go gather some water; would you be kind enough to accompany me?"

Mipha's brow curled, "Actually, I was rather intrigued by-"

"Trust me," interrupted Urbosa, wrapping an arm around the Zora's shoulders and pulling her into her side as the two pressed on, "With your sonar hearing, it might churn your brains into jelly. I'm a  _Gerudo_  and I fear for myself in kind."

Giggling at her intense desperation to escape, Mipha acquiesced, the two's departure leaving Revali with a glib expression, though it failed to stop him from progressing, "Very well, I will begin by offering the ceremonial warming of the palatoglossal arch. Let me just-  _Hwawk_!  _Hwawk_!"

Throwing his body forward, Revali's throat began creating a gurgled, choking symphony of vibrato swirled alongside magnificent crescendos of what seemed to be phlegm, forcing the others' faces to churn in shaken terror. Zelda did her best to maintain her air of willingness, though found it increasingly difficult amidst this odd ritual of the Rito.

" _Goddess_ ," Link muttered achingly, covering his ears, "They're birds, so why does he sound like a cat being strangled?"

Zelda released an immediate frown, "You know, you don't have to react with disgust at every little-"

Her spine trembled at a particularly sour note that shot from Revali's cadence like a firecracker, "- _every_   _little_   _thing_. He could very well have a rather melodic voice once he's warmed up- you have no idea. I'm sure there's plenty more about him that-"

"Oh, don't worry, there's less," Link confirmed with a pithy attitude.

Crossing her arms, Zelda questioned, "How exactly did you two start off in such bad terms, anyway?"

Link turned to her as he spoke up, "Well, you might not have realized it, but…"

He comically drew his shoulders forward, turning his head side to side as if in detection of wandering eyes, before finishing, "He's kind of a jerk. Shh! Shh! He'd rather it remain a secret!"

Despite Daruk's glee, Zelda merely rolled her eyes in reply, shaking her head, "You know what I meant; when you two first  _met_."

Link shrugged, "We were on assignment out west. The party of Rito we were dealing with were cordial enough until Revali showed up, insisting he was a member of theirs, and causing a hubbub over the whole meeting. There's little worse than being the cause of a ruckus that impedes a routine procedure; that, and being a massive headache. Needless to say, the party of Rito weren't exactly pleased; they were far too quick when it came to apologizing- and let me tell you one thing, the Rito  _never_  apologize to anybody beyond their race."

"Like I said before, he should know his place," Link surmised.

Zelda's brow furrowed, "You once knew  _your_  place. Now look at you."

Link felt the Master Sword almost tug against his shoulder.

"Perhaps his standing isn't nearly so concrete," Zelda countered easily, a sudden gusts of spittle preventing Link from reporting in kind, the three spinning toward Revali as he completed his hacking into space.

"HWAH! Hmm mmm. Alright, that ought to do it. A good trachea exercise is good for the soul- never hurt anyone. Are you all prepared?" asked Revali rhetorically, already patting the plumage at his chest with his hands.

"Bring it!" Daruk challenged with a fierce grin, caught between wanting to be genuinely impressed and wanting to be entertained.

"Allow me to present to one and all- the songs of Vurla!" Revali proclaimed with enough pomp and circumstance to lift his words skyward, carrying his bravado, "Ahem! A one… A two… A-"

"'DERE HE IS!" came a shrill, unraveled shout from behind him, forcing Revali to whip around to find three Hylian children in a mad dash down the dirt road, right toward him, "Gedd'im!"

Trapped by the sudden shock of such a rabid occurrence, Revali merely recoiled, though did little else, as the three children surrounded him, weakly slamming the smallest of sticks against Revali's hocks as the Rito began scurrying in place to evade their nagging swats.

"What are-?! You cretins! You beings of deplorable acts!" Revali charged in a slight panic, "Have you  _any_  clue who I-?!"

"Ged th' bird man!" one of them cried aloud, leaving Revali speechless in his astonishment.

"B-Bird man?! You vapid little whelps! Let loose those ill-constructed weapons this instant!" Revali demanded angrily, still attempting to shoo away the children.

From their spots a mere few paces away, the others looked on with a wide array of glances, Daruk, for one, finding the amusement he had been half-pining for, laughing boisterously at the sight of such articulate speech in the face of rampant children. Link smirked at the sight as well, leaning closer toward Zelda as her mouth fell agape in a mix of confusion as well as fright.

"See? There's less," Link chuckled under his breath as his eyes remained fixed on Revali's in-place dancing as he attempted to escape the children's clutches, his better instincts preventing him from doing much in the way of harm to the fledgling Hylians.

Zelda dropped her head, incapable of coming up with a solution within the heat of the moment, though Revali's anger quickly tempered, forcing her attention once again as Revali slammed a foot into the ground with an outrageous squawk that accompanied his plumage bursting forth while he lowered his stance, forcing his body to appear as though little more than a ball of angrily postured feathers. Less the presentation itself and more the suddenness of his motion, the children suddenly jerked away in terror, dropping their sticks and screaming as they charged toward the others, rounding Link's legs and clutching onto the hem of his tunic as they shielded themselves.

"GAAH!" one of them cried, "S-Save us!"

Link shrugged as he turned to Zelda, who immediately answered with a swift, "No! Now, we're going to handle this with- Revali, are you okay?"

His fully orbed posture notwithstanding, Revali's glare remained steadfast on the children, leaving Zelda to instinctively position herself between the Rito and the children before crouching down with a smile to offer a hand in greeting, "Hello there. Where are you all from?"

Still frightened, only one of them managed to motion down the slopes toward the lowlands, Link turning to find the slight numbers of workers out tilling. Perhaps these were children of the workers who'd gotten carried away, he figured. Still, Zelda nodded dutifully, taking back her hand once it was clear she wouldn't receive a handshake.

"It's okay; Revali wouldn't hurt a fly," she assured softly, hoping to avoid any comment to the contrary from the Rito himself, "Trust me."

"B-But!" one of the children stammered to life, "The bird men! They done came and picked off're people in'a night!"

"Yeah!" chimed another, "We have to protect're families!"

Zelda sighed, dropping her head in defeat, "Now, you kids know those are all false legends, right?"

"No way! Tobin's brother told us himself!" came from the third, "They prowl along the mountaintops, skittering along the sands, their wings whipping up dust as they-!"

" _Tich_!" Revali scoffed aloud as he stood up straight, straightening out his mantle, "As if a Rito would allow such a hideously inane act as 'whipping up dust'. I swear- think of the- I mean, you all witnessed it enough in the desert!"

The first child finished, "And- And- Their wattles bellow in the breeze!"

"I  _BEG_  your pardon?!" Revali charged, forcing the children to recoil against Link's legs once again with terrified vocalizations.

Zelda groaned defeatedly as she stood, though her determination was true; she turned toward Revali and implored, "Revali, would you- Please- Just offer something of a friendly gesture?"

He only eyed her with suspicion.

"Look, half of why we're doing this is to better improve relationships between all of our people, correct? To do that, we'll have to challenge these sorts of things, right?" Zelda explained, coming to a head with an excited voice, "Oh! How about you do your aerial acrobatics! When we first met, I was so impressed; I'm sure these kids would be so excited to-"

"Niq!" Niq!" Neeeeq!" cried the children in a chorus of excited tones, the trio bursting away from Link's body and stampeding in the direction of the returning Urbosa and Mipha.

Zelda groaned, "Okay, well never mind…"

Smirking devilishly as though to tease, Urbosa boasted, "Neek? Now what are you calling me? I oughta-!"

Despite her excitement, the three kids blew right past Urbosa, much to her displease, and she followed them with her eyes as they clustered around Mipha, hopping up and down excitedly as they fell under the Zora's welcoming smile. Urbosa crossed her arms with malcontent, turning toward Zelda as the Princess came up to her side.

"Talk about  _rude_!" Urbosa complained, "Don't they know I'm the fun one?"

Zelda frowned, "Tell me about it."

The children's incessant throes of elation continued as Mipha knelt down to come to their level, their cheering finally coming through, "Candy! Oh, please! Pleeease!"

Mipha smiled so serenely, wholly incapable at this point of doing much of anything to disappoint this youthful audience, "I do apologize, but I don't actually have any candy with me. I do, however…"

She turned her attention to the satchel at her back, rummaging through it while the kid's eyes gleamed excitedly. Even more, the remaining Champions grew further curious, not only at the name used to address the Zoran princess, but by her apparent playing along as well.

"Here," Mipha spoke up gently as she pulled three stones from her pack, earning her the reaction one might expect from children.

"…rocks?" one of them wondered with pithy incredulity.

Mipha smiled, "Yes, but- If you cup them between both your hands-"

She demonstrated herself, the kid's dismissal gradually returning to intrigue, "These stones are from little tiny tidepools at the top of Lanayru Mountains. Now, if you do this, close your eyes, and  _reeeally_  concentrate, you can almost catch a picture of the mountains themselves."

Link shut his eyes, lowering his head to avoid showing a grin, thinking of a similar exercise promised by Mipha the night they'd met underneath the stars at the Bazaar. Even he had been warily trusting then, so when it came to children-

"Really?!" one of them shouted with elation.

Mipha nodded, "Yes, really! You just really,  _really_  have to concentrate, alright?"

Immediately pawing for a stone, the three of them started off with a mad dash in the direction they'd initially come from, leaving Mipha with a whimsical smile as she rose to her feet, watching them as they passed Revali without incident, the Rito shooing them off with a blustery motion of his arm, shaking his head with disgust. She quickly stopped upon realizing her place atop the group's collective center of attention, her head jolting down toward her chest as embarrassment overtook her in a split second.

"Okay," Urbosa chimed in first, making a hand gesture suggesting Mipha approach her, "Spill it, Zora."

Mipha trembled beneath the weight of bashfulness, "Well, uh, I used to tell the same thing to my brother when he was a little taddie."

"Not that," Urbosa clarified swiftly, "That thing they called you- Neep."

Rather quickly, Mipha returned her head upright with attentiveness, "Oh! Actually, it's Niq- Like 'unique', just…not."

Her head tilted to the side thoughtfully, "I suppose now that I think about it, they  _would_ largely be around this region, so no wonder those children thought- Anyway, the Zora have always been a rather spiritual people, but we don't have a single religion or anything; especially since we've started exposing ourselves to the outside world, a few cults have sprung up, with the Niq being one of them, and I mean, there are tales of Zora worshipping giant fish throughout history, so they're not exactly the farthest cult 'out there'."

Going on, Mipha explained, "They believe in a crimson-scaled deity that will one day arrive and bring about a new age of prosperity amongst the Zora, and the vague nature of that idea has made them rather popular, even if personal cults are still on the fringe. Warbass types believe they will come and conquer the whole of Hyrule, while the more peaceful members take it that he'll simply come and usher in an era of knowledge and technological mastery."

"In any case, they're also rather open-natured," Mipha noted, pointing off toward the Hylian farmland down the rocky slopes, "They're more than happy to walk the world and make friends. They're known for being supremely friendly, so I suppose those children had come across a Niq and simply associated such kindness with all Zora, but- My father has always been wary of spiritual awakenings and such, but the Niq are generally friendly and offer us Zora a good reputation across these lands, so far as we know, so he hasn't much issue with their goings on."

Zelda's studious glance had already fallen in thought, a hand lazily scratching at her cheek in contemplation, "Hold on, you said crimson-scaled deity?"

"I caught that as well," Urbosa muttered, "Isn't that just the mark of Zoran royalty?"

Mipha sighed, "Well, that's why the Niq have remained more counter-culture than anything. A lot of people don't buy into it due to that fact; it could just be a king-worship cult, after all; the entire royal line, as you see upon my own body, bear scales of crimson. But they're adamant, never failing to prescribe to the idea of an arriving god-like being wearing scales of scarlet. They also have the image as those who employ the more…seedy of followers. Most of them are scared, bedraggled, often downright frightening, despite their good works. One of the more well-known members is named Nerim; he's rather unforgettable, as his dorsal fin was ripped from his head, which is generally regarded as heroic if resulting from battle, but we know too little about him for it to be anything more than a target of ridicule, sadly. Still, nearly begrudgingly, he remains helping other Zora, traveling about, helping the Hylians or the occasional Goron to find their way around this area. He's merely a rugged, kind soul, I think."

"Now that you mention it, I do recall Gorons who return from their travels and speak of such friendly Zora," Daruk nodded with a smile, "They made quite the impression; that's when our own tourism board was created! We thought your Zoran travelers were advertising Zora hospitality or something! Some enterprising Gorons figured to do the same!"

Zelda quizzically requested of the Zora, "Why are they so adamant about- I mean, I understand the religiosity of it, but- The crimson scales just seem weird so far as prophecy goes. If every generation of Zoran royalty Bears the same thing, can it truly even be a prophecy? Any one of them could be its answer, even you."

Shrugging, Mipha explained, "To be honest, I don't understand, or even know, the finer points of the Niq beliefs; just that they seem to be more of a positive group than negative. They aren't a nuisance, which is good enough for most of Zora's Domain."

"That's more than you can say about the Hylia cult," Revali sneered distastefully, "On the whole, anyway."

"Sadly, you're quite truthful when you say that," Zelda sighed, "Still, that's yet another thing I hope to address with our excursion. I understand my ancestors weren't always benevolent toward your people, but I'm hoping to help mend those histories as best I can."

Revali frowned, "You could start with  _him_."

His eyes widening in surprise at being called out, Link gave a heavy shrug before reply, "What?!"

Zelda groaned, burying her race into her hand with exasperation, her eyes still war-weary with tire as she sighed aloud, "Gah, I'm too tired for this…"

Smiling from ear to ear, Daruk raised his arms, "I shall take a cue from those of good will that Mipha speaks of! Allow me to carry you, if you would so allow me the privilege!"

Shaking her head with sudden nervousness, Zelda waved her arms back and forth, "N-N-No, that's- that's fine! I can manage!"

"Fear not, should you require my help," Daruk assured proudly, "Ask Link! I had to carry him once due to heat exhaustion and, despite my brusque and rugged mantle, I ensured he was in the care of one ever so careful with his protection."

Zelda grinned at Daruk's description of himself, particularly the world 'mantle', before assuring him, "No, truly, I'm fine."

Daruk nodded in reply before Urbosa's skeevish expression caught his eye, her head cocked to the side in guarded inquiry , "…well? What happened next?"

The Goron watched her curiously, though Link caught Urbosa's intention, forcing him to intervene, "Don't give her an answer; she's just hunting for a fantasy."

Urbosa's glare cast down upon Link with intensity, "Why, what are you hiding..?"

As the bickering continued, leaving Zelda exhausted and Revali incredulous of the group he'd been found a part of, Mipha merely smiled, even as Urbosa began pantomiming activities with her hands which forced blushes amongst the Hylians while Daruk remained oblivious. She had long forgotten to listen to what was going on, besides the very general fact that she was traveling with this boisterous cluster of bodies that seemed so out of place together, yet seemed to match perfectly in their torrid makeup.

Surely, she reminisced of the night before, these were the best days.


End file.
